Don't Hurt My Little Knight
by Red Roses2
Summary: AU. Hoenheim watched as Ed's and Al's incestuous relationship fell apart. Now he has to deal with Ed's new boyfriend, and Al's wife and kid. But what happens when he realizes that the gate has been playing them this entire time? 42 last chap, Rest extra.
1. Chapter 1

Red Roses2: It's most certainly NOT my first yaoi, but . . . it IS the first of this . . . _kind. _

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Hoenheim stared at the written page in front of him. He sat on the bed of his eldest, staring at what he knew he shouldn't have read, but didn't manage to stop himself. He stared at the written proof of something that might have been preventable, if only he had stayed with them.

No, not Trisha's death. Not the human transmutation. Not the burning of the house, or the joining the military, or anything like that. Nothing that had anything to do with alchemy.

This was something completely different.

Hoenheim never thought either of his sons would ever be _gay_, let alone . . . .

He stared at the words that mocked him, as though they didn't say "And Al told me that he loved me the way . . . the way I wanted Mustang to love me", but "THIS IS YOUR FAULT, VAN HOENHEIM." His jaw hung there, practically begging flies to enter and build a permanent residence. His glasses slipped down to the end of his nose, but he didn't bother to push them back up.

He almost didn't want to read the rest, but he made himself turn the page anyway.

"I wasn't sure what to do. But . . . but somehow we fell into a different kind of relationship. I'm not even sure how it happened. Even though he's a suit of armor, he brushed my tears away so gently . . . ."

Hoenheim's glasses fell off and landed on the book. This was back when he was still in the armor. _In the armor_. He looked at the clock. Ed and Al weren't supposed to be back for another couple of hours. He looked back at the book and continued to read. The more he read, the shock began to wear off, and a new kind of shock set in. The more he read, the more Ed started to sound like . . . like the _uke_ of the relationship.

Especially when he reached the sex entries. Hoenheim's face turned a deep, cherry red. Hoenheim had to remind himself how Ed was outside of these pages, outside of Ed's own head. He would've been ready to swear that they weren't the same person. But that would be lying. Hoenheim had to admit that, around Al, he was always a little different. More calm . . . more happy. . . .

Hoenheim thought back to when Ed and Al were little children. Ed had been a very protective older brother. He used to beat up any bullies who tried to pick on Al, even at the tender age of three. He tried to help him and Trisha take care of Al, played with him, kept him company. Of course, there were the times when Al would annoy Ed, and probably vice versa. He never would've thought they'd end up like . . . _this_.

He supposed he did sort of notice that Edward didn't have any interest in girls. But he could've sworn that Al was. . . . Shows what he knew.

Then came the entries of when Al regained his body. They had been unable to give Ed flesh limbs, and yet Ed seemed to be okay with that. What he hadn't been okay with was Hoenheim moving in with them. At first he thought he knew all of the reasons, but . . . maybe this had something to do with it.

"Al says he wants to get to know Dad better. I say who cares. But I'll put up with him. For Al's sake."

"Al's really happy now. Happier than he ever was in the armor. Quite understandable, I'd say. He likes being able to feel, smell, and taste things again. He laughs when I worry over him when he gets hurt. But . . . I kind of like how he's not worrying about me as much. Well, in bed at least. At first I was worried he wouldn't be ready for that with his new body – well, not really _worried_ about him, but worried that I'd make him uncomfortable or inconvenience him – but he couldn't wait. Dad barely got out of the house for his outing thing, and we didn't even make it to the bed! He was amazing. I don't think this hicky will go away for weeks! It'll be a little hard to hide from Dad and Mustang, but I don't care."

Hoenheim paled as he suddenly remembered how many evenings in their household go the same way: Hoenheim goes out for his walk which usually takes a few hours (he'd sometimes do grocery shopping if Al said they needed anything), and if work wasn't keeping Ed, Al and Ed would stay at home, dinner already eaten by all of them, and when Hoenheim would come back, they'd both be asleep. He never thought it was strange. He usually came back kind of late, and both always wake up long before he does in the morning, so it seemed very normal.

Hoenheim suddenly received a vivid image of Al pining Ed to the floor, fucking him senseless. He covered his eyes, unable to remember why he opened the diary in the first place. Deciding that it was like alchemy – once you do it, there's no turning back – he turned back to the book and turned the page.

"I have no idea how Al got so good at kissing, but it's like he's been doing it his entire life. He's incredible. Sometimes I think I don't deserve him. I don't share this thought with him. He's already debunked it more than once. But I can't help but wonder if he'd be happier with someone else. If he'd want to be with someone else. He tells me he'll never love anyone more than me, but . . . I don't want to be selfish. I want him to do whatever he wants, even if he wants to pull away from me. I – I know it would hurt. I think it would hurt more than anything else. But we'd still love each other. He's my brother, after all."

Edward's selflessness never ceased to amaze Hoenheim. He always felt awe for Ed's ability to sacrifice everything and anything for those he cares about, but Al especially.

Hoenheim watched the date change, and with it, the mood of the paragraphs.

"My lips are bruised, and I don't really mind, but it really bothers Al. He doesn't like thinking that he's capable of hurting me – but he's not! It doesn't hurt. Just stings a little. I can live with it, though. He shouldn't worry, but he does anyway. He doesn't believe me when I say it's not a big deal."

"He hates seeing blood on the sheets the morning after. It's not often, but he wishes it didn't happen at all. I tell him it's fine, that it's normal to happen on occasion, but he's starting to freak out over the smallest things. It's kind of weird how he's a wild, undeniably sensual and hot being when we do it, but he's so hesitant, worried, and concerned when we're not. I guess he just loses himself in the moment, but I wish he wouldn't regret it. I don't regret it at all. I love it when he does that. Maybe I'm just a masochist. But I don't care if it hurts or bleeds. I just want him to love me, love being with me, love doing me."

"He won't look at me. He won't touch me. He won't do anything with me. He barely talks to me. He hasn't touched me in any way for a week now. It's torture. I wish he wasn't afraid of hurting me."

"Havoc asked me what was wrong. I told him it was nothing. He didn't believe me. I think he told Hawkeye and Mustang that something's up with me. Is it that obvious? I just want Al to have _something_ to do with me again."

Hoenheim frowned. Suddenly it all made a lot of sense. This was the cause of the depression that had set into the house. He sighed. How the hell was he supposed to fix something like _that?_

"Mustang asked if everything was okay at home. I told him it was fine. He doesn't believe me. I hope he doesn't try to pry anymore."

"Havoc asked me if I was doing anything that evening. I told him no. He asked if I wanted to go with him to dinner. I said sure and if anyone else was coming. He said no. I was about to ask if Al could come, but I didn't. I guess I do need a break from coming home to the same painful mess every day. I told him I'd see him around 7."

"Dinner with Havoc went nicely. We talked about not-important things, though I could tell he wanted to talk about what was up with me. I avoided it like the plague. It was easy after I told him it was family stuff and that I didn't want to talk about it. I told him it would resolve itself and that we'd all be back to normal soon. I hope I'm right."

"Havoc invited me to dinner again. This time Breda, Falman, and Fuery are coming. I'm kind of liking this."

"Al asked me where I was when I came home. I told him the truth – out at dinner with Havoc and the others. He asked what took me so long. I said I lost track of time. He was quiet for a while, and asked if I had fun. I smiled and said yes. It's the truth. It was a lot of fun. Making fun of Havoc and his girl problems is always fun, though I just watch the others do it. I'm not sure what changed with Al, but he crossed the room and kissed me. It was like reaching heaven after a pilgrimage through hell."

"I had dinner with Havoc again. When I came home, Al asked where I was again, and after I told him, he was all over me. I like the change, but I wonder why it seems to be Havoc that brings it about."

Hoenheim's eyes widened as he slowly came to the same realization as Ed did a few paragraphs down.

"I think Al's jealous I'm spending time with Havoc. I guess I have been going out for dinner a lot more than I used to. Without him, I mean. I think I'll bring him next time."

Hoenheim checked the date, and realized he had reached the last entry. And that tonight was another "Dinner with Havoc" night. . . . The one when Al gets to join.

He heard the front door open and slam. Hoenheim carelessly threw the diary onto the bed and hurried down the stairs.

"Al?" Ed's voice echoed down the entry hall, stopping Hoenheim in his tracks. "Is – is something wrong?" Hesitancy and fear dripped off of the eldest's voice. Hoenheim swallowed hard, waiting for his youngest to say something.

"No. Not at all," Al said, in a falsely calm voice. "I – I just - ." Hoenheim could hear the tears now. He crept down the stairs and found the painful scene that was unfolding. Al turned towards Ed, tears flowing down his cheeks and desperation in his eyes. "You're mine! He can't have you!"

Ed's eyes widened in surprise. "Al, what are you talking about?

"It's obvious he wants you!"

"He's straight, Al. A girlfriend dumps him every week. Besides, that shouldn't matter. I love you."

"I want to be the one who makes you happy! Not him! I want to be the only one!"

"You are, Al. You are. What's this all about?" Ed cupped Al's cheek, wiping the tears away with his thumb. Al grabbed Ed's wrist and pinned him to the wall. Hoenheim kept very still, frightened of what might happen if they realized he was there watching them. He'd never seen Al ever act like this; he wondered if Ed had.

Al crashed his lips into Ed's, kissing hungrily, needing. Ed submitted himself entirely, not fighting against Al's grip or force, almost acting like a rag dog as Al pushed his leg against Ed's groin. The kiss turned open-mouthed, both their cheeks flushing, Al's more so than Ed's.

Hoenheim wondered what other fathers would feel watching their sons make out with each other and feeling each other up. Anger? Humiliation? Disgust? Hoenheim felt none of that.

He pitied them. Maybe it was because he already knew so much of how Ed felt. Maybe it was because it didn't take an alchemist to figure out what Al was thinking and how insecure he felt. Maybe it was to relieve his soul of the guilt that set in him. He felt like this was his fault. Maybe if he had stuck around, Ed would never have developed a fear of abandonment (didn't take a psychiatrist to figure that one out). Maybe if he had paid more attention, Al wouldn't have gone through so many hormonal changes and imbalances that he wasn't used to the way he did. Maybe he could've prevented, if not the incest, then the pain that was about to become of it.

Al and Ed gasped for breath. Their chests inflated and deflated together, pressed against each other. Ed rested his forehead on Al's, smiling. Al pulled back and inspected Ed's lips. A frown set into his features.

"It's okay, Al. I love you."

Al's face tore up, tears rolling down his cheeks again.

"You're – you're mine . . . and you shouldn't be." Al said. Hoenheim lowered his head. Ed's smile disappeared.

"W-what are you talking about?" Ed said, his voice trembling.

"You shouldn't be mine, but you are!" Al sobbed. "I propositioned you in a moment of weakness, and - ,"

"Wha - ? Moment of weakness? Al, this whole thing started _years_ ago. What's gotten into you?"

Al let go of Ed and balled his hands into fists.

"All I've done is hurt you! You say it doesn't matter, but it does! You mean so much to me, Ed! Sometimes I wonder if you realize how much, with how you let me – let me _use_ you like that!"

"_Use me_? Al, I _like_ it when you do those things to me - ."

"I hurt you! That's all I've ever done!"

"That's not true!"

"It is! You just refuse to admit it! You'd be safer and happier with someone else!"

Hoenheim watched as Ed's face contorted into the essence of terror.

"Wh-what are you _saying_?"

"You'd be _safer_ and – _and happier_ if you were with Havoc or – or Mustang or - !" Al hiccupped and sobbed, unable to stop himself from breaking down. But he stayed standing. Ed, however, looked like he'd fall to his knees if the wall and Al weren't preventing him from doing so.

"You – you're _breaking up _with me?"

Hoenheim suddenly realized the dampness on his face was tears. He wiped them away, and his heart tore with Ed's as Al ran away from him – past Hoenheim without noticing he was there – and up the stairs. The sound of Al's bedroom door slamming echoed down the stairs.

Ed fell to his knees, his eyes wide and body numb. Tears slowly fell down and dripped to the hardwood floor. Hoenheim hesitated to take a step towards his eldest, but the sound of Al emerging from his bedroom stopped him. He looked back up the stairs, and his eyes widened at the suitcase in his hand. Al looked surprised to see Hoenheim standing at the bottom of the stairs. They didn't say anything to each other. Al merely walked down the stairs, past Hoenheim – not sparing him a glance, and forced himself to not look at Ed. Ed's eyes widened as he realized where Al was going with that suitcase.

"NO!" Ed screamed, standing and running at the same time. He grabbed Al's elbow, but Al pushed him away. Ed fell onto his butt, his face the epitome of the emotion one feels when their world crashes and burns to ashes. "Al!"

Al opened the front door and slammed it.

"AL!" Ed shrieked, getting back up and grabbing the doorknob.

Hoenheim grabbed Ed from behind and pulled him away from the door.

"AL, COME BACK! AL! DON'T LEAVE ME, PLEASE! AL!" His screams sounded like a pathetic, dying creature. Hoenheim's tears fell onto Ed's shoulder as he pried Ed's fingers off of the doorknob, the door open and letting the cold in and Ed's screams out into the world. Hoenheim closed the door and forced Ed to face him.

"He'll come back when he's ready. Okay, Edward?" Hoenheim said, placing his hands on his eldest's shoulders.

Ed collapsed against his father and cried as hard as he could.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Red Roses2: I swear, I write the most depressing shit ever. There might be a continuation, but more than likely, it's a one-shot.


	2. Chapter 2

Red Roses2: It's official, I'm totally mixing the anime and the manga together. The characterizations for Ed and Al are anime-verse, because I think Elricest only makes sense in the anime. Hoenheim is manga-verse because I haven't SEEN Hoenheim in the anime yet. Mei is from the manga, and even though I haven't seen the FMA movie, I also have . . . . well, you'll see.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Hoenheim squeezed the cloth, the water dripping from the ends and his hands. He snapped the damp cloth over the bowl of water, folded it again, and laid it on Edward's forehead once more. He sighed. Ed's mouth hung open slightly, drool dribbling down the edge of his mouth. His eyes were shut, tear stains shining on his crimson cheeks. The tears were nothing new, but the fever was.

It had been five months since Alphonse ran off. Al seemed to only update Winry on whether he was alive or not. As much as Ed cared for Winry and was glad Al was talking to _someone_, it still tore him up knowing Al didn't want anything to do with him.

_But that's not right_, Hoenheim reminded himself. _He wants __**everything**__ to do with you, Ed. It's just that it scares him. _But Ed doesn't see it that way. He knows he doesn't. It's that damn fear of abandonment that Ed developed. It's all . . . but would he even have it if Hoenheim had stayed home? Would his sons even be in this position at all if he had just . . . ?

There was no point in wondering.

"Dad?" Ed mumbled, his eyes opening slightly.

"Ed, you should rest," Hoenheim said. "Is there anything you need?" Ed gave him a pained look. "I mean, want, anything you – no, I mean - ." Ed sighed.

"I know what you mean." Ed admitted. "M-maybe a glass of water. . . ."

Hoenheim nodded, stood up, and went to the bedroom door. He hesitated, then turned around.

"I'm sorry you're stuck here with just me," Hoenheim said. After all, it wasn't really a secret that Ed couldn't stand him.

Ed didn't respond, but as Hoenheim was about to close the door: "I'm . . . not mad at you anymore. . . . I – I just – !" Hoenheim refused to see Ed cry. He'd seen it way too many times these past months. "I just wish Al had stayed!" A coughing fit overcame Ed, the damp cloth falling onto the pillow. Hoenheim went down the stairs and into the kitchen for that glass of water, praying to someone who would listen to his sinful wish.

The phone rang as he was filling the glass. He debated whether or not he should pick it up, but on the second ring, he decided it couldn't hurt.

"Elric residence. Van Hoenheim speaking."

"Dad?"

Hoenheim almost dropped the phone.

"Alphonse?"

"Yeah. . . . It's me."

". . . How are you?"

He heard Al chuckle, but it didn't sound happy at all. It didn't sound like _Al_.

"To be perfectly honest, I have no idea. Um, I'm . . . kind of calling to . . . tell you something that . . . well, how to put this . . . ."

Hoenheim was hoping it would be something about he was coming home, but by the sound of it, that would be a long shot.

"You're going to be a grandparent, Dad. . . . ."

Hoenheim really did drop the phone. He stood in front of the sink, dumbfounded for a few moments, then slowly picked the phone back up.

"_What_?"

Al didn't respond right away. "It was an accident. S-she's not mad at me . . . _yet_."

"How - ? With who - ?"

"Her name is Mei."

Hoenheim racked his brain, but he couldn't link that name to a face he knew.

"You don't know her," Al added. "I . . . haven't really known her that long, either. It just kind of happened. . . ."

Hoenheim sighed. "What do you plan to do?" _Should I tell him about Ed?_

"Well. . . . She's with her parents right now to get their opinion, and then she'll make a decision. I let it up to her. It's her body, her life, and her kid, even if I am the dad. I just . . . thought you might like to know about it."

Hoenheim made a thoughtful sound. He could practically hear Al's hesitation. "Edward misses you." He heard some bumps, most likely caused by Al nearly dropping the phone. "He wishes you were here."

It was silent on the other end. When Hoenheim started to wonder if Al had hung up, the youngest Elric said, "I can't. I just . . . _can't_."

Hoenheim sighed. "I know."

"I'll call you when Mei makes a decision."

"All right."

"Bye."

"Goodbye, Alphonse."

Click. Hoenheim slowly put the phone back where it belonged and went back to fixing that glass of water.

This wasn't how he imagined parenthood at all.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed covered his mouth as he coughed heavily. He touched his throat and winced. "S-so you know what kind to get?"

Hoenheim held up the grocery list. "The name brand is on the list."

Ed nodded, his throat hurting too much to say anything unnecessary. Hoenheim frowned at the pitiful state his son was in. His cheeks shined brightly, his eyes were droopy, and his lips looked like they were peeling wall paper. On the bedside table was an army of water glasses – the lamp and clock had been moved to the floor – and right next to the table was a trashcan and multiple plastic bags. A box of tissues sat on the window sill above Ed's head.

"If you can't reach the bathroom in time, try to vomit in the bags, okay?" Hoenheim said. Ed nodded. "If anyone calls, just let it ring. I'll be back in an hour at most." Ed nodded again, lifting a hand to hold his head. Hoenheim frowned. "J – just get some rest, okay?"

Ed narrowed his eyes at him, clearly wanting to say "What do you THINK I've been doing?"

Hoenheim sighed and proceeded to go to the pharmacy. Ed glared at the bedroom door for a moment, then rested his head back on the pillow again.

The father arrived at the pharmacy in good time. The store wasn't crowded, either. He asked the nice employee where the medicine for things like coughs and flu were, and he found it without too much trouble.

He just didn't expect to see Alphonse.

He stopped in the aisle, staring at the young man. The man noticed him and smiled in his direction.

"Looking for flu meds, too?" he said, no recognition in his face at all and an accent lacing his voice. Now that Hoenheim thought about it, he was too tall to _really_ be Alphonse. And how come he had never heard that type of accent before? He had been alive for over a century, for God's sake. You'd think he'd be able to recognize them all.

He forced a smile on his face, just to be polite. "Yes. For my son. He has a terrible fever."

"Ah. He's lucky to have someone to get it for him!" Kind eyes curved up as he smiled, and he looked back at the shelves of medicine. "Problem is, I have no idea what to get." A fit of coughing overcame him, and he quickly covered his mouth. Hoenheim furrowed his eyebrows at the sound of it. As horrible as Ed sounded at home, his cough didn't sound nearly as bad.

"You just have a cough?" Hoenheim asked. His eyes widened as the man pulled his hand away, catching glimpse of red before he folded his fingers over his palm.

"Yeah. You know of a good one for it?"

The artificial light in the pharmacy hid Hoenheim's eyes as he thought.

"There's one thing I can do." Hoenheim said.

The man blinked. "You're a doctor?"

Hoenheim pocketed the list he had and clapped his hands together. "Not exactly."

The man furrowed his eyebrows. "Then how - ?"

Hoenheim jabbed his hand into the man's chest, spurts of blood splattering the shelves and floor. The man stumbled backwards and spat out blood. He grasped his chest and stared up at Hoenheim, shocked. Hoenheim lowered his face, the light no longer hiding his eyes.

"Did that help?" Hoenheim asked.

The man opened his mouth, anger evident in his expression, but then a look of surprise came over him. He slowly stood back up and examined himself. He touched his chest as though to make sure it was real. He looked back at Hoenheim, awe-struck.

"It's gone. The pain in my chest. The constant urge to cough. It's gone. How did you do that?" the man asked.

Hoenheim looked back at the shelves of medicine and found the one that Ed needed. He decided to get three bottles of it, just in case.

"Once upon a time, I became a being that couldn't age, and couldn't die easily. I've lived a long time, and have met many people. But though I've once healed people in a similar fashion, I don't do it often, even though I should. I've done some wonderful things, very helpful things, but none of them add up to what I should've done throughout my entire, long life. I can do many things with this life that I've been given through alchemy, but somehow . . . I never make the most of it."

Hoenheim turned to walk to the cash register, but the man grabbed his shoulder.

"You mentioned alchemy – what is it? I keep hearing people talk about it, but I don't understand. And – and how come there aren't any airplanes?" the man said.

Hoenheim raised an eyebrow at him. "Airplane? What on Earth is an airplane?" The man's face contorted into a look of pure fear and confusion.

"Um, well – can you answer me this? What's this town's name? What country is it in?"

"Uh, Central, and Amestris."

"Amestris? Is that in Europe?"

Hoenheim's confusion grew. "What's Europe?"

The young man's shock was so great he almost fell over. "W-what's Europe. What's Europe, he says. This is bad, this is very, very bad." He held his head and gripped his hair. "What am I going to _do_?"

Though Hoenheim had no idea what this man was blabbering about, it was evident that he needed help. And Hoenheim always did feel bad about leaving Ed at home all alone being depressed, and now ill. . . .

"If you need a place to stay, you can live with my and my son until you get yourself situated. . . ." Besides, this man's problem might even be solvable with alchemy. Who better to help him solve it than two of the best alchemists in the country?

With medicine bought and a new companion, Hoenheim returned home within the allotted 60-minute time period. The man gazed at the house, a small smile on his face; it was the smile of familiarity, which Hoenheim guessed the young man needed. Hoenheim trudged up the stairs, taking one of the medicine bottles out of the bag.

"Edward, I'm home." He opened the door to the bedroom. The sheets were thrown back. The trashcan was laying on its side, balled-up tissues still sitting in it. Only one glass of water looked like it had been touched at all, and it was only half-empty. Two of the plastic bags looked like they had been used.

And Ed was no where to be seen.

Slightly panicking, Hoenheim hurried to the bathroom. He opened the door a crack and let out a sigh of relief. Ed was leaning over the toilet, obviously having managed to reach it in time. The poor boy weakly perched on the edge, his forehead resting on the brim of the seat. His knees looked like they didn't want to support his weight. Ed looked up at his father and glared.

"What took you so long?" he asked, his voice weak and hoarse. "Getting up. Too hard." He then started coughing, barely managing to cover his mouth.

Hoenheim crossed the bathroom and picked his son up, bridal style. He then carried the sick blond back to his bed. As he crossed the hallway, he glanced at the young man he brought home. The man's eyes widened at the sight of Ed, recognition glinting in his face. Hoenheim furrowed his eyebrows. Ed squinted at him, then his eyes widened as he made the same connection Hoenheim did.

"Al?" As soon as he spoke, another coughing fit started. The man blinked, looking even more surprised.

"How did you know my name was Al?" the man asked.

Hoenheim stared at him, completely flabbergasted. "What?" he said.

The man shifted his weight onto his other foot. "My full name is Alfons Heinrich. And – and I have an older brother, Edward Heinrich, who looks a lot . . . like . . . ." The man's face changed from surprise to realization. "Oh. D-do I look like your younger brother?"

Ed nodded, then winced.

Alfons smiled. "That's awfully strange, isn't it? I hope you get better soon."


	3. Chapter 3

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

The phone rang once again. Hoenheim quickly picked it up. He didn't want to risk Heinrich answering. Ed's horrendous coughing resonated from upstairs. Heinrich probably was up there with him.

"Elric residence. Hoenheim speaking."

"Hey, Dad."

"What's the verdict?"

"Her parents want me to marry her."

Hoenheim didn't say anything for a while. "Okay. Do you want to?"

He could hear Al wince. "Please don't ask me that." Hoenheim frowned. "The wedding will be in a few days. Apparently her parents have been planning her wedding day since she was born, so most of it's already put together. . . . They're very traditional about things like this and . . . I kind of need a family member present."

Hoenheim's glasses slipped down his nose. "Oh. Um. I haven't told - ."

"I figured."

"I don't know what to say. I don't have a real excuse to disappear and go. He's not exactly in the best situation to be just left at home."

". . . . Sorry."

"It's not your fault, really. It's this flu he - ."

"Flu? Ed's sick?"

"Yeah. He's had it for a couple weeks now."

"Oh. . . . Well, only come if Ed's okay, okay?"

"Alright, Alphonse."

"I have to go."

"Alright. Goodbye."

Click. Hoenheim stared at the phone for a few moments, then hung up as well. A sigh escaped his lips as he trudged back up the stairs.

He was going to have a daughter-in-law and a grandchild. Ed was going to have a sister-in-law and a niece or nephew. Hoenheim hesitated before Ed's bedroom door. Ed would have to learn someday that Al was building a family – their family. But Hoenheim could just _see_ the pain and tears and his poor trembling form as he sobbed because it hurt too much. No. Hoenheim couldn't be the one to tell Ed. He just couldn't. He knew he was a coward, a weakling, a pansy, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

He opened the bedroom door. His eyes widened slightly at the scene before him.

Ed finished drawing what looked like an alchemy circle on notebook paper and held it up for Heinrich, explanations on what it was and how it was used scribbled above it. Heinrich tilted his head at it, read the scribbles, and asked a question regarding it. Ed gave him a somewhat frustrated look, but scribbled an answer underneath the circle. Heinrich read the explanation and smiled weakly, obviously not understanding or even believing that what Ed was saying was true. Ed merely rolled his eyes and, in his hoarse voice, said, "What's so special about this 'airplane' then?"

Heinrich grinned, took the notebook away from Ed, and started drawing and explaining about flying machines, how they worked, how he used to build and fix them at home, and how they were invented. Ed shook his head, disbelieving. Heinrich insisted that they were real, that they were possible.

"How about a deal then, Ed?" Heinrich said.

Ed raised an eyebrow.

"If you can prove to me that alchemy exists, I'll prove that airplanes are real. Okay?"

Ed smirked.

"You're on," Ed rasped out. A coughing fit followed suit. Ed grabbed a tissue and spit the phlegm into it.

The two of them finally noticed Hoenheim standing there. Heinrich smiled at him. Ed sent him a small glare.

"What are you standing there for?" Ed rasped.

"Is something the matter?" Heinrich asked. Hoenheim shook his head.

"No. Nothing wrong." _I was just wondering if Ed ever tried to explain alchemy to Alphonse that way. _"Are you feeling better, Edward?"

Edward shrugged.

"He's able to sit up and explain things like alchemy now. So, I'd say yes." Heinrich said. Ed shrugged again.

Hoenheim gave a small smile. Heinrich had no idea that he answered correctly for Ed's emotional state, too. It was nice to see Ed being enthusiastic over something again.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed came down the stairs, his fever down considerably but his cough still horrible. He looked around the hall, living room, and kitchen. He raised an eyebrow at Heinrich. Heinrich shrugged.

"I have no idea where Mr. Hoenheim went."

Ed furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms.

"How typical. That bastard." Ed said, coughs interjecting themselves between words at irregular intervals.

"I guess you don't like your dad very much."

Ed shook his head, but he wondered if it was still the truth. A younger Ed would never have accepted any help from Hoenheim. He would've thrown the bastard out whether he was ill or not. A younger Ed most certainly would never have let Hoenheim see him cry. But something must've changed between the years of undeniable hatred and now. What it was, Ed wasn't sure he wanted to know. Just in case.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Hoenheim couldn't help but kick himself. He wondered why he was such a coward. His only consolation was that Heinrich was with Ed. Hoenheim sat in a chair near the front, the only one on his side of the rows of chairs. All of Mei's relatives sat on the other side, sending him suspicious glares. Hoenheim sighed.

It was curious, however, that Mei was Xingese. Hoenheim could've sworn Al had gotten laid with an Amestian blonde that might've looked suspiciously like Ed, but Mei couldn't have looked more different if she tried. Slanted eyes, dark hair, rounder face, even shorter stature. She was beautiful, no doubt. She just proved that Hoenheim knew nothing of his youngest son.

Al glanced at Hoenheim from his position at the altar. Hoenheim gave him a small shrug. Al sighed silently. Hoenheim bowed his head.

"Dad?"

Hoenheim looked up, the whispers of Mei's relatives dying. "Yes, Al?"

"Does Ed know?"

Hoenheim frowned. "No. I couldn't tell him." Al frowned as well.

"Is he still sick?"

"He's better."

"Has – has he found anyone - ?"

Hoenheim thought about it for a moment. He remembered Ed's expression when he talked to Heinrich.

"I'm not sure. He hasn't known him very long."

Al seemed content with that answer. He took a deep breath and actually smiled. "Good."

The music began, and Hoenheim stood up like every other guest and watched the bride walk down the aisle.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Hoenheim tried to open and close the door quietly, but it didn't matter. Ed was still awake, and he looked pissed. He narrowed his eyes at him. His arms were crossed, and he was leaning against the wall.

"Where were you?" Ed asked, turning his head to cough into his hand.

Hoenheim winced, not at the cough, but at being caught.

"There was something I had to do."

"What was it?" Ed glared at him. Hoenheim sighed.

"It's too hard to explain. Can we say I was helping a friend and leave it at that?"

Ed grumbled a bit, but then trekked back up the stairs to his room. Hoenheim dropped his back and coat in the middle of the hallway, not bothering to put it where it belonged and dragged his feet into the kitchen. He put on the kettle for a cup of tea, pulled out a mug, and then sat down and held his head with both hands.

Hoenheim knew Al still felt . . . _that_ way for Ed. . . but it was a small comfort to know that Al did consider his new wife a good friend, so maybe everything would turn out okay. Maybe he'd be able to tell Ed about Mei and that little baby. Maybe Al would tell him instead. Maybe Al would actually come home.

He could only hope.

~!#$%^&*()_+

"Are you sure you're well enough to go into work?" Hoenheim asked as Ed adjusted his boot. He still hadn't grown out of that red coat yet. Hoenheim would never understand his eldest's fashion sense.

"Yeah. Besides, I wouldn't mind if the Colonel Bastard caught my bug." Ed grinned, showing that he was feeling significantly better than he had been for the last five months.

"Colonel?" Heinrich said, tilting his head to the side, confusion evident in his eyes.

Ed's grin widened. "You're so cute!" Ed's cheeks turned a pink color, and Heinrich's turned a deep red. Hoenheim couldn't help but chuckle; when Alphonse was first regained his body, Ed couldn't stop saying how cute his little brother was.

"Ed works for the military," Hoenheim explained.

"Oh." Hoenheim raised an eyebrow at the frown that settled on Heinrich's face. "Um, d-does the word Nazi ring a bell?"

Ed also raised an eyebrow. "What's that? Some kind of food?"

Heinrich chuckled. "No. If you don't know, I guess it doesn't matter." Ed shrugged and proceeded to leave. "Have a good day, Edward."

Ed smiled at Heinrich. "You, too. See you later."

Click, and the eldest son was back in the world again.

Hoenheim clapped a hand on Heinrich's shoulder. Heinrich glanced at him.

"What _is_ a Nazi?"

Heinrich sighed and looked back at the front door. "A Nazi is a soldier who follows Adolf Hitler's orders. Where I'm from, Hitler is the most powerful and most terrifying person . . . ever, really. I mean, if you fit into his idea of perfect, then great, but if you don't . . . like me . . . ." Heinrich motioned his thumb across his neck, simulating a slit throat.

"Yeergh." Hoenheim said.

"Exactly."

"Pray tell, what doesn't fit into being 'perfect'?"

Heinrich snorted, a dark sarcastic smirk looking out of place on his face. "Oh, nothing much. Just disability, homosexuality, being old, being Jewish, Gypsies, Slavs – basically anything not Aryan."

Hoenheim's eyes widened. "That sounds like a lot."

"It is." Heinrich assured him, moving into the living room, his dust rag in hand. Hoenheim watched him rub the rag on the mantel, his eyes settling on the pictures and the frames that held them. Hoenheim had been the only one who still had pictures of how life used to be. He and Trisha and their sons. He wondered if Trisha was upset about what had become of her children. Did she frown upon what they've done? Did she only frown on his ineptness at being their father?

"Edward and his brother would have been killed at your home, then." Hoenheim admitted. Heinrich looked at him, eyes wide with that strange innocent look that shouldn't have been able to suit a grown man.

"Really? Why?"

"Well, surely you noticed Ed needs artificial limbs. And . . . you said homosexuality was a reason to kill them where you used to live."

"Yeah. . . ."

Hoenheim smiled sadly. "I don't really know about my youngest. . . . Maybe it's only . . . that makes him that happy. . . . But Edward definitely . . . ."

Heinrich's eyes widened. Hoenheim sat on the couch and rested his head in his hand. Heinrich watched him, unable to do anything else.

"Do you think I'm a terrible father? To not be able to take care of my children when they need a parent most? Before you came . . . Edward fell into a dark place that I couldn't even imagine. I thought he wasn't going to come back. But then I met you. . . ." Hoenheim lifted his head. "He smiles again. He jokes again. He's . . . somewhat happy again." He laughed humorlessly. "You, a complete stranger who happens to have his brother's face. You could make him happy in ways I, his father, could never hope to. I never was the kind of father you'd care responsible or nurturing. I've tried to be these last few months, but Ed has hated me for as long as he's lived. I left him, his brother, and their mother to fend for themselves so very long ago, and I never showed up at dear Trisha's funeral. He has every right to hate me. But – but it still hurts – to know that I can't make up for those mistakes I made. It hurts. . . ."

Tears fell down Hoenheim's cheeks as he sobbed himself into silence, Heinrich left to merely watch as he broke down.


	4. Chapter 4

Red Roses2: I really like how this chapter turned out.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Mustang, Havoc, Hawkeye, and Ed all stood before a seemingly harmless empty space of road. Hawkeye cocked her gun and pointed her gun at the space, but Havoc caught her arm.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Havoc said.

"Do you have a better plan?" Hawkeye asked.

Ed looked around. His eyes landed on a rock nearby. He picked it up and threw it at the empty space. As though there was a hole in the air, the rock disappeared into something they couldn't see. Their eyes widened.

". . . I know that was what the reports kept telling us, but seeing it is completely . . . ." Havoc started.

"Weird," Mustang finished, pulling his gloves on. "But what do you think it is?"

Ed narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.

"Ed!" Hawkeye shouted, grabbing his arm. "Don't, it's dangerous!"

Ed shook her off and walked up to the invisible hole. He held his automail arm out and put it through the hole. His entire forearm disappeared from view. He pulled it back, his arm in one piece.

"Havoc, do we have any rope?" Ed asked.

Havoc blinked. "Uh, sure. One sec." The male 1st Lieutenant dug through his bag and pulled out a rope.

"How long is it?"

"50 meters."

"Fullmetal!" Mustang objected. "I haven't given any orders yet!" Ed glared at Mustang, and Mustang glared back; it wasn't a secret that the colonel had been worried and overprotective of the Fullmetal Alchemist these past few months.

"Then what do you suggest, _Colonel_? We're already here, and we have rope. Havoc, when I pull on it, reel me back in, okay?"

"Yes, sir," Havoc said, his uneasy expression more than enough proof that he really sided with Mustang on this one. Havoc tossed Ed one end of the rope, the other end held tightly in his fist. Ed tied the rope around his waist and approached the hole once again.

"See you in a bit," Ed said, then he disappeared into the invisible hole.

The colonel and lieutenants shared uneasy looks.

"Do you really think he's okay?" Hawkeye asked, all three knowing she wasn't just talking about the expedition. Mustang shook his head. Havoc shrugged. Hawkeye grunted and looked back at the length of rope. "Thought so."

"The question really is what's been eating him," Mustang admitted, eyes closed and brows knitted together.

Havoc shrugged again. "Last time I talked to him, he said it was family problems. He _is_ living with his dad, and we all know how much he hates him. And he hasn't talked about Al in a long time. Think something happened between the dad and Al?"

"That can't be it," Mustang said. "Al doesn't lose his head, Ed does. If anything, it would've been Ed that lost his temper."

"But he hasn't lost his temper with anyone," Hawkeye said. "Hasn't for six months, almost."

"It's almost like Al just dropped out of Ed's life." Havoc said. No sooner did he say it, than his, Mustang's and Hawkeye's eyes widened.

In unison, they gasped, "Al's gone!? Why didn't he say something!?"

Havoc felt a tug on the rope. Without having to ask for it, Mustang and Hawkeye grabbed the rope and together the three of them pulled Ed back in. Ed tumbled out of the invisible hole, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging like a pendulum.

"Ed, what happened?" Mustang asked.

Ed pointed at the hole, his mouth moving but no words coming out. Slowly, Ed managed to get out, "Airplane."

Mustang, Havoc, and Hawkeye stared at him. Then: "Fullmetal, what the fuck is an airplane?" said Mustang.

Ed closed his mouth and stared up at his superior, the doe-eyed expression kind of scaring the Flame Alchemist. The teenaged major untied the rope around his waist and began to walk away, without a single hint as to where he was going. The three adults looked at each other, then chased after him.

"Fullmetal, where are you _going_?"

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich sat next to Hoenheim, staring into his tea cup. Hoenheim sipped the sugared-up drink, remembering days long gone when Trisha would make tea for him, and later Ed. The memories brought tears to his eyes, but he smiled as he recalled how her eyes used to sparkle with happiness and how she'd playfully scold him when he joked around with her. He wished he had treated her better. She was so good and meant so much to him.

Ed was a lot like him, in that respect. Ed got deeply attached to what he cared about. He just took better care of them. But that didn't seem to help the poor boy recently. He frowned as he remembered the heart-broken screams on that fateful night when Al left them. He knew Trisha had understood why he left and didn't hold a grudge against him, but was that how she felt? Was she painfully afraid that he'd never return? Was Ed just like her, or like him? Which parent did Al truly mirror? Was Al a look at what Trisha would've been like as a boy, or a peek into what a kinder, stronger Hoenheim would've been like?

"Mr. Hoenheim?" Heinrich asked.

"Hm?"

"When . . . when you said Ed had fallen into a dark place . . . that you didn't think he'd return from. . . . What happened to him?" Heinrich looked at him with those big, kind eyes that looked so much like Al's. Hoenheim sighed through his nose and looked into the empty fireplace.

"Ed once had a lover who he cared about very much. They had been together for a long time, before I even returned. He went against all odds to help this person. He was even willing to sacrifice his own life for him. Even after they achieved what they had worked so hard to do, they stayed together, and their relationship strengthened. . . . But then his lover started to go through changes, both hormonal and emotional. He started to lose control of his impulses. He began to fear he'd hurt Ed. So, to protect him and to give him an opportunity to find a happier life, he left. . . . ."

Hoenheim bowed his head, a single tear rolling down his cheek and losing itself in his beard. "He left and broke Ed into tiny pieces I couldn't put together. My little knight couldn't stop crying. He couldn't smile. He couldn't be anywhere in the house without crying . . . _especially _not his room. It got to the point where I made him sleep in my room for a while until he could pull himself at least a little together. . . ."

Hoenheim looked at Heinrich. For a split second, a sense of anger came over him. He almost believed it was really Alphonse sitting next to him, looking at him with such surprise and pity. He bit back the urge to yell at Heinrich. Heinrich wasn't Alphonse. No matter how much he looked like him.

"I still hear him crying at night. Crying and begging for him to come back in his sleep. But . . . at least he smiles in his waking hours now . . . now that you're here."

Heinrich looked back at his tea, eyes wide with those two emotions that, if they were on Alphonse's face, would have made Hoenheim snap. Slowly, Heinrich's expression tore up, and a sob escaped his throat. Hoenheim frowned as he watched the waterworks start. Heinrich's hands started shaking – shaking so much he had to put the cup down.

"That's – that's horrible. I never – I never would've guessed – he seems so - !" Heinrich stood up suddenly, Hoenheim following him with his eyes. "How could that person do that to him?" Heinrich's legs shook, his arms shook, his whole body shook, and tears flowed down his cheeks, but his eyes glowed fiercely, true anger glaring through those normally kind eyes. "How could that bastard _use_ him like that?"

Hoenheim's eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly.

"_Sometimes I wonder if you realize how much, with how you let me – let me _use _you like that!" _

"_How could that bastard _use _him like that?"_

"_Let me _use _you like that!" _

"_That bastard _use_ him like that?" _

"Use _you like that!" _

"Use _him like that?" _

Then the doorbell rang, startling the father out of his revelation.

Hoenheim opened the door, only to find Ed, Mustang, Havoc, and Hawkeye standing on the other side. His glasses fell down his nose.

"Ed? What are you doing here at this hour?" he asked, catching Heinrich wiping his face clear of tears in the corner of his eye.

"I need to talk to Heinrich about something. . . ." Ed said, slowly, methodically.

Hoenheim raised an eyebrow, but moved so the four military officials could enter. A few minutes later, Mustang, Havoc, Hawkeye, Ed, Heinrich, and Hoenheim all sat in the living room, Ed the only one without a beverage.

"Colonel, First Lieutenants, this is Alfons Heinrich. Heinrich, this is Colonel Roy Mustang, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, and First Lieutenant Jean Havoc." Ed explained, sitting on the fireplace across from Heinrich and Hoenheim, Mustang and Hawkeye on the loveseat and Havoc sitting on a chair.

"All right, Fullmetal, what's this all about? Why are we here?" Mustang said.

"Fullmetal?" Heinrich asked.

"It's my state alchemist name," Ed said. "We're here because that thing in the street has something to do with Heinrich."

Havoc and Hawkeye stared at Ed, uncomprehending. Mustang, however, sent a glare in Heinrich's direction. Heinrich pulled away from Mustang, scooting closer to Hoenheim. Hoenheim bowed his head tiredly.

"What thing in the street?" Heinrich asked.

Havoc held his hands up. "It's this big hole where things keep disappearing into. Some of them come back, some of them don't. But there's something called an "airplane" on the other side, and Fullmetal won't explain what it is."

Heinrich gasped and stood up. "Airplane? Yay!" He clasped his hands and grinned. "Then that's my ticket out of this crazy place!"

Havoc, Hawkeye, and Mustang all raised eyebrows. Ed gave a small smile. Hoenheim chuckled.

"It's not that bad," Hoenheim insisted.

"Anyway, don't get too excited. We don't even know how it got there." Ed said. "We need your help to figure out what the hole is, what it's doing there, and various other things. Find out if it's a danger or not."

Heinrich nodded, then a frown settled on his face. "Does – does this mean you'll be trying to find a way to close it?"

Ed shrugged. "Probably."

Hoenheim frowned as he started to see through the smile, see how fake it really was. Heinrich sat back down, his arms crossed and a thoughtful expression on his face. The living room was very quiet for a long time, the colonel and lieutenants not even daring to interrupt the silence.

"Then," Heinrich said, finally looked up from his thoughts, "give me a few days to find my brother and his wife. I'll bring them over here, and then you can do whatever you want with the hole."

Ed stared at him, this time part of the not-understanding group.

"Why would you want to do that?" Hawkeye asked.

"Don't you want to go home?" Havoc added.

Heinrich smiled.

"My brother married a Jewish woman, so the Nazi army will try to murder her, if not both of them, so it's safer for all three of us if we just move here. After all, I can't leave yet. Ed promised to prove alchemy was real." Heinrich said, making air quotation marks with his fingers around the world "real".

Ed continued to stare at him, but slowly a grin spread across his face.

"You got it." Ed said, and the two grinned at each other. Hoenheim couldn't help but smile with them. But the father let his gaze rest on the colonel, and the smile slipped off. Mustang glared at Heinrich, distrustful eyes boring into the lost young man who already meant so much to Ed. Light hid Hoenheim's eyes from the rest.

"Well, if we're going to journey to your brother's, we better get going," Hoenheim said, standing up.

Heinrich and Ed looked up at him, confused.

"Wait, all three of you are going?" Havoc asked.

"Why not?" Hoenheim replied. Ed smiled. "I'd like to see this airplane thing for myself. It sounds . . . wonderful."

Heinrich grinned. "It is! With how the gears work - !" Heinrich then went on and on about airplanes and how they worked, and his voice elevated and his eyes smiled. Havoc smirked and gave Hawkeye and Mustang an amused look. Hawkeye shrugged and smiled weakly, not understanding anything Heinrich was babbling about. Mustang's frown deepened.

"Fullmetal?" Mustang said.

"Yeah, Colonel?" Ed replied, standing up and pulling his red coat back on.

"Where's Al?"

Heinrich stopped talking in mid-sentence, and Hoenheim stiffened. No one had mentioned Al since Heinrich came to live with them. Heinrich turned to Ed, wanting to see how he reacted to this. Hoenheim prayed silently.

Ed had frozen in mid-gesture, his arm half-way into his left sleeve. His eyes were on Mustang, but he wasn't _seeing_ the colonel. Tears weld, and teeth gritted. Slowly, Ed lowered his gaze to the floor, his coat falling off his arm and to the floor. Mustang's demeanor softened.

"Ed?" he said softly, reaching out and lifting the blond's chin up.

Under normal circumstances, Ed would've pushed Mustang's hand away and said some crap about not needing to be babied or maybe even something about that being sexual harassment. But this wasn't a normal circumstance. This was about Al. And Hoenheim knew how that was going to turn out.

"I – I don't - ," Ed whispered, hesitancy and fear spilling out his mouth from his heart – because he could only talk about Al from the heart. "I don't know."

A sob escaped, the tears spilled over, and all of a sudden Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, Alchemist of the People, and Dog of the Military, couldn't stop crying or hold himself up on his two feet.

Alarmed, Mustang caught him before he could hit the ground unceremoniously. He held onto him by his arms, unsure of what to do now. Havoc's cigarette fell out of his mouth and landed semi-harmlessly on the carpet, eyes wide. Hawkeye stared silently, sympathy crawling into her gaze.

Hoenheim came to Mustang and pulled Ed out of his arms and into his own, not hesitating to pick Ed up like he was still a baby. He held him against his chest and rested a hand on Ed's head, pressing his son's tear-stained cheek to his shirt.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered, gently rocking Ed in his arms, thinking back to when Ed was still a few months old. He used to cry over simpler things – things that Hoenheim could have fixed easily, like hunger and thirst and boredom and upset stomachs. He used to be perfectly content being held in his daddy's arms, enjoy being rocked and cuddled. Hoenheim treasured those memories, because he knew this wasn't the same at all.

"It's okay. Al will come home, and everything will be okay. He just needs some time, but he'll be home. I came back, didn't I? So will Al. Shhh, it's okay." Hoenheim glanced at the colonel. "Perhaps you three should leave now."

Mustang snapped out of his daze. "Ah, right. Hawkeye, Havoc."

Obediently, the two first lieutenants stood up, bid goodbye, and left quickly. Mustang muttered something akin to an apology before closing the front door behind them. Hoenheim seated himself on the couch, Ed still pressed to his chest.

"It's okay, Ed. Al's just fine and will come home soon."

Ed hiccupped in mid-sob and clutched onto Hoenheim's shirt with his automail arm.

Heinrich watched them, his eyes widening in realization. Hoenheim glanced at him and recognized the look. It was the same look he knew he had when he learned of the true nature of Ed and Al's relationship. Heinrich collapsed into the chair Havoc had occupied just a few seconds ago.

"His – his _brother_ has done this to him?" Heinrich gasped, disbelieving.

All Hoenheim could do was nod and rock his son, whispering the same thing over and over again. Because this was his little knight who felt like he had failed his king. And that was all he, the father, could do.


	5. Chapter 5

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Hoenheim pulled the sheet over Ed's shoulders, brushing away the last of the tears as he made his eldest comfortable. Ed had cried himself to sleep. When the cause of the tears was Al, that usually was how it ended. Heinrich stood in the door way, eyes hard with a determination Hoenheim couldn't figure out.

Ed shifted in his sleep, a single word escaping his lips.

"Al. . . ."

Hoenheim's heart ached, but he pulled away from Ed's side and pulled Heinrich with him, closing the door behind them.

"When he wakes up, we'll go through that portal and get your brother." Hoenheim said, walking down the stairs. Heinrich followed; Hoenheim had the feeling that he wanted to talk about Al.

The older man sat at the kitchen table, wanting different scenery for the problematic conversation to come. Too much emotional turmoil happened in the living room and hall. Heinrich sat across from him, jaw set. Silence reigned between them for quite some time before Heinrich found the right words.

"What kind of a person could do that to their brother?" Heinrich demanded. Hoenheim raised his eyebrows.

"You're not going to ask how two siblings could feel that way towards each other?"

Heinrich sneered darkly; it didn't suit him, but it looked like it had been there once or twice.

"Many sinful thoughts have crossed my own mind. The only difference is that I've never done them. . . . Well, except one."

Hoenheim gazed into the young man's eyes. The harder he looked, the more lax his body turned and lifeless his expression looked.

Confirming his suspicions, Heinrich added, "I have been participating in homosexual activity for a while now. No one close to me knows yet. Where I'm from, it's not just the Nazi army that would hate me, want to kill me. My own father and mother would disown me. It's a sin against God, and yet I can't seem to stop myself."

Hoenheim furrowed his eyebrows together and shook his head. "Whoever says it's a sin against God is wrong." Heinrich's eyes widened, curiosity gleaming through those angry irises. "I've seen sin, as have my children. Sin robs people of life, of bodies. Sin ruins lives. Homosexuality doesn't ruin anything. Only people who hate it ruin. Only people who carry wrath, and pride, and greed, envy, gluttony, lust and sloth ruin. It's not wrong to be angry, or be proud in yourself, or indulge yourself with things you want, be them material, abstract, or a living thing. It's only a sin when it rules your life. The truly sinful ones ruin themselves. . . . The victims of sin are ruined by others." Hoenheim rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward.

"As for what kind of a person could break their brother like that . . . Al didn't mean to. He really didn't. He had Ed's best interests at heart. Still does. He's just blinded by the curse of youth and raging hormones."

BAM! Hoenheim stared, surprised, at Heinrich's fist. It trembled out of anger, a crack in the wooden table. That certainly was a strong arm the young man had.

"That's not an excuse," Heinrich hissed. "I went through my entire teenaged years being driven crazy by the urges to fuck the cute classmate or handsome teacher. I had been angry at myself and at the world around me, but I kept a lid on all of it. I took out everything on myself." Heinrich glared through Hoenheim, not really seeing the older man. "I've been thinking about that portal thing. It sounds like something from a science-fiction novel, predicting the end of the world and how government is corrupting the system. But, if I'm from a world where alchemy doesn't exist, and there is someone who looks just like me in a world that does, and he has the same name as me, and I have a brother who looks just like that Al's brother, doesn't that make he and me the same person?"

Hoenheim shrugged, knowing better than to make assumptions.

"If I could hold so much back, why couldn't he?" Heinrich hit the table again. "Why did he have to hurt Ed so badly!?"

Hoenheim bowed his head. "I don't know, Heinrich. Maybe it's genetics. Maybe it was faulty parenting on my part. Maybe it's all a big accident. But if you knew Al, you'd know he wouldn't have wanted to - ."

"I don't care what he _wanted_," Heinrich hissed out. Anger radiated off of his person. If the man had been capable of alchemy, Hoenheim would've bet the Flame Alchemist would have competition for his title with how the powerful emotion flared from Heinrich. He would've bet that Heinrich could've produced flames without even moving. "All I cared about is what he's _done_."

Hoenheim sighed.

"Heinrich, are you in love with Ed?"

The young man looked up, shocked.

"Huh?"

"Are you in love with my son?"

All Hoenheim received was a stare.

"It's just that you seem to be so passionate about Ed's wellbeing. Is it because he looks like your brother? Or is it because you've fallen in love with him?"

The words were caught in Heinrich's throat, but the wide-eyed, helpless expression was more than enough for the father. It didn't matter that Heinrich and Ed hadn't known each other for very long. Heinrich had obviously already fallen head-over-heels for Edward. And Edward was still pining after Alphonse. Alphonse was married off to a beautiful girl who was pregnant with his child. And Hoenheim was the only one who knew all of this.

The older man sighed and pushed his glasses farther up his nose.

"I need caffine." Hoenheim said, standing up and fixing himself a cup of tea. He decided to add twice as much sugar.

~!#$%^&*()_+

The three blonds stood before the seemingly nonexistent portal to Heinrich's world. Hoenheim and Heinrich stared at it disbelieving. Ed smiled reassuringly.

"I promise, it's here," Ed said, holding his automail arm out and feeling around. "Ah, found it." His hand disappeared from view. "Heinrich? You want to go in first?"

Heinrich nodded, smiling nervously. He brushed against Ed as he passed. Hoenheim watched as the young man blushed and muttered an apology, Ed shrugging it off as nothing yet a small blush of his own settled onto his cheeks. Heinrich disappeared into the invisible portal. Ed looked at Hoenheim.

"You next or am I?" Ed said. Hoenheim smiled slightly, glad to see a face other than upset on the boy's face.

"You go ahead."

Ed disappeared from view, his smile and all. Hoenheim stepped into it behind him, curious as to what Heinrich's world happened to look like.

At first, he thought nothing had happened. It looked almost just like the streets of Central. However, Hoenheim looked up when he heard the roar and saw the airplane, the tell-all of which dimension they were in. Cars drove past and people walked this way and that, not even noticing Heinrich, Ed, and Hoenheim. Heinrich smiled at them.

"My brother is on the other side of town," Heinrich said, grabbing Ed's arm and pulling him in the right direction. Hoenheim followed closely.

It seemed curious that the air seemed denser than the air in Ametris.

Heinrich led them to what looked to be a bakery. Heinrich opened the door, a little bell ringing to signify their entry. Ed gasped at the woman behind the counter.

"Hey, Elizabeth," Heinrich said.

A clone of Riza Hawkeye stood straighter and smiled at Heinrich. "I was wondering when you'd show back up. The Nazis have searched the place three times already."

Heinrich blanched. "Are they okay?"

Elizabeth nodded. "They never found them." She blinked at Ed. "He looks just like your brother." Heinrich glanced at Ed and smiled.

"Yeah, I know. Ed, this is Elizabeth Hawk. Elizabeth, this is Edward Elric and his father, Van Hoenheim. They have a safer place that Brother and Wendy can stay."

Elizabeth smiled. "Bet you want to see your brother." Heinrich nodded enthusiastically. Elizabeth giggled, then led the way upstairs. Halfway up the stairs, she pressed a tile on the wall, and part of the wall swung open. Elizabeth poked her head into the room. "Hey, Edward, Wendy, Alfons is back."

Heinrich fit himself into the room, and a blonde blur tackled him.

"Al! I was so worried about you!" Edward Heinrich said, stepping back to take a better look at his little brother. Hoenheim snorted, noticing Edward Heinrich was significantly shorter than Alfons Heinrich, yet still taller than Edward Elric.

"We were all worried," added the blonde woman who came up behind Edward Heinrich – a woman who looked like an older, taller, pregnant version of Winry.

Heinrich smiled. "To be honest, I was kind of worried about me, too. But I'll explain where I was later. Brother, Wendy, this is Edward Elric and his father, Van Hoenheim."

Edward Heinrich gawked at his clone. Ed smiled awkwardly and waved, his sleeve falling down his arm and showing off his automail. Wendy gasped, then covered her mouth. Ed noticed what she was staring at, then proceeded to cover it back up.

"Are they here to hide, too?" Wendy asked, the first to overcome her shock; her husband was still gawking.

"No," Hoenheim said. "Actually, we're here to take you to a place where you'll be safer. Heinrich has been living with us for a while, and I think you'll like it."

"It's kind of a weird place, but it's the safest I've ever seen," Heinrich reassured them.

Wendy looked at her husband, but he was still gawking, which meant the decision making was up to her.

"Where is it?" she asked.

Heinrich opened his mouth, then realized he had no idea and turned to Hoenheim and Ed. Ed crossed his arms, a pensive expression on his face. Hoenheim scratched the back of his head.

"Let's put it this way," Ed said, "Whatever these Nazi things are, they won't be able to find it."

Heinrich hit his forehead with his palm. Hoenheim laughed nervously. Edward and Wendy Heinrich just stared at him, jaws dropped.

"What?" Ed said.

Ring. Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath. Ring.

"Mrs. Hawk?" called a deep, familiar voice.

Elizabeth dashed down the stairs. "Coming, Lieutenant!"

Ed snorted, and Hoenheim elbowed him. Heinrich pulled both of them into the room and closed the disguised door. The five of them kept still, listened, and waited.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lieutenant."

"It's fine," said the voice that sounded just like Colonel Roy Mustang's. Ed tried not to burst out laughing. Edward gave him a glare, wondering what was _wrong_ with this guy. "I was wondering who the cripple who came in here was."

"Cripple, sir?"

"Yes. The one with the metal arm."

"I'm afraid I didn't notice a metal arm, sir."

"Really," said a second voice, this one sounding just like Havoc. "You'd think it'd be pretty obvious."

Heinrich's expression hardened and his fists tightened. Hoenheim could only shake his head.

"There's also something I wanted to ask you about, Mrs. Hawk." the Mustang voice asked.

"Yes, sir?"

"Why is there a single tile on your stairway wall?"

Silence echoed from the downstairs room.

"Thought so. Sergeant Havoc, could you - ?"

"On it."

The sounds of footsteps clomped up the stairs, and soon the light from outside the room temporarily blinded Ed and Hoenheim. Wendy and Edward clung to each other. Heinrich glared. Havoc blinked at the two extra people.

"Lieutenant, I found him, and those two Jews they told us were hiding up here," the Havoc look-alike said.

Ed couldn't help it; he burst out laughing. The Havoc look-alike stared at him blankly. The Lieutenant Mustang came up behind him, blinking in surprise at the reaction they got. The sergeant and lieutenant looked at each other. The lieutenant shrugged.

"I – ha ha – can't believe – ha ha _ha_ – Mustang's a _lieutenant_!" Ed laughed, holding his sides and laughing so hard he couldn't hold himself up.

The lieutenant's eyebrow twitched.

"What's so funny about that? And how'd you know my name was Mustang?"

Ed wouldn't have been able to answer even if he wanted to, he was laughing so hard.

"Know what, let's just shoot the cripple," Lieutenant Mustang said, pulling out his gun.

All Hoenheim did was sigh. Before Mustang could pull the trigger, Ed had managed to roll himself back to his feet and kick the lieutenant between the legs – with his _automail_ leg. Ed caught the gun as it fell from Mustang's hand. Mustang collapsed to the floor, groaning in pain. Sergeant Havoc merely held his arms up, surrendering. Ed grinned manically.

"I would've rather wanted to kick the _Colonel_ Mustang there, but his lieutenant look-alike is just fine." Ed sniggered. He then pointed the gun at Sergeant Havoc. "Now, you'll let us get out of here. No one has to find out you two got screwed by a 'cripple' if you just pretend you never met me or anyone else in this room. Got it, Sarg?"

Havoc nodded, still the laidback guy he was back in Central. Mustang groaned uselessly. Ed grinned more.

Hoenheim shook his head. "You're enjoying this too much." Ed gave Hoenheim a victory sign. The father couldn't help but smile a little.

"Now let's get out of here," Heinrich said, holding his hand out for Wendy.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Edward and Wendy got the shock of their life when they met _Colonel_ Mustang and _1__st__ Lieutenant_ Havoc and _1__st__ Lieutenant_ Hawkeye on the other side of the portal. They almost turned around and ran back to where they came from, but Heinrich and Hoenheim grabbed them. Ed looked at Mustang hard for a moment, then cackled manically. Mustang raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Hawkeye sighed, and Havoc shook his head.

"I swear, Fullmetal," Havoc commented, "you're more screwy than an automail mechanics screwdriver. But it's good to see you're all more or less okay."

Hawkeye held out a hand to Edward and Wendy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye."

Havoc pushed his hat up. "1st Lieutenant Jean Havoc."

"Colonel Mustang," Mustang grunted out, turning back to Ed who, more or less, reigned his giggles in. "Are you okay, Ed?"

Ed grinned. "Never better!" Mustang smirked.

"Good. I'd hate to have more paperwork because you weren't taking care of yourself."

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, COLONEL BASTARD!?"

Hoenheim chuckled, glad Ed was able to pitch a fit again.


	6. Chapter 6

Red Roses2: For the sake of argument, let's just say they have answering machines in Ed's world, shall we?

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Ed led Edward and Wendy to the only guest room. Hoenheim and Heinrich went into the kitchen, the older man setting the kettle on the stove. Unfortunately, Heinrich got to the phone first. He pressed the button that played the messages on the answering machine after seeing the flashing red light.

"Wonder who called," Heinrich said, alerting Hoenheim too late.

"Beep. Dad, it's me," whispered the voice of Al. Heinrich's smile slipped off his face and his body froze. Hoenheim hurried to the phone and cupped his hand around the speaker, fearful that Ed could hear it. He brought his ear closer to the answering machine as though that would keep it from being loud. "Mei has fallen ill. I'm worried about the baby. Can you come over?" Click, and the message ended. Hoenheim quickly deleted it. He looked at Heinrich, the young man's eyes hard and his jaw set.

"Who's Mei?" Heinrich whispered angrily.

Hoenheim sighed. "Al's wife."

Heinrich's fists trembled. "His wife." Hoenheim nodded. "Does Ed know?" He shook his head. Heinrich gritted his teeth. "That bastard."

Hoenheim shrugged, not cursing nor condoning his youngest. "I'll have to be away for a while. Will you four be good on your own? Ed's income will keep you afloat, and it wouldn't hurt if you and your brother got jobs as well. Also, we'll need to figure out how we'll refer to your brother. I don't know how complicated it'll get if we're calling both Edwards Edward."

Heinrich nodded curtly. "Yeah. We'll be fine."

Hoenheim clapped his hand on Heinrich's shoulder. "Don't tell Ed. Alright? It'll break him all over again."

Heinrich closed his eyes and grunted. "No promises."

Hoenheim's eyes hardened. "Heinrich. Don't hurt my son." With those last words, Hoenheim left the house without so much as a goodbye to the others. Heinrich could hear Ed enthusiastically explaining where everything in the house was and Wendy gushing excitedly over the spaciousness of the guest room. Anger pulsed through his veins, the urge to follow Hoenheim and beat Alphonse Elric's head in as strong as a freight train. But he didn't. Because Ed, Edward, and Wendy needed him, but especially Ed.

He would tell Ed about his brother. He just needed to figure out when and how.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Al worried his lower lip as Hoenheim examined Mei, her cheeks red and her forehead warm. Hoenheim shook his head.

"She has the same illness Ed had not to long ago. . . . Do you think it's a coincidence, or did I bring it here when I came for the wedding?" Hoenheim asked.

Al shook his head. "It doesn't fit the timeline, Dad."

"Hm. Anyway, it should blow over. What it will do to the baby, I don't know. Have you brought a doctor in?"

Al nodded. "The doctor's the one who brought the medicine."

"Ah."

Hoenheim looked around at the room. Everything was styled in traditional Xingese. Not a hint of Al's background lay anywhere in the room – or the house, for that matter, if the small glimpses into the other rooms were any indication. Hoenheim looked at Al, frowning.

"Are you happy like this?" he asked.

Al sat next to him, touching Mei's hand.

"More or less. Mei has become a very good friend of mine. . . . She knows I'm not in love with her . . . but that's okay. She never expected me to. We'll take care of this child like proper parents. . . ."

"I meant living in this house. It's like you've erased everything about your past . . . like you've erased everything you and Ed went through."

Al swallowed hard.

"What else can I do?" Al asked.

"We can move," whispered the hoarse but lovely voice of Mei. Al and Hoenheim looked at her, surprised.

"How are you feeling?" Al asked. "My dad's here to help take care of you."

Mei smiled at him. "I'm okay. We can move to Central, Alphonse. If you want to." Al didn't respond. It looked as though he wasn't capable. "Besides . . . I'd like to meet this 'Ed'. The way Mr. Hoenheim talks about him, he seems to be very important to you."

Hoenheim's eyes widened, and he stared at Al incredulously.

"You haven't told her anything about Ed?"

Al shook and bowed his head.

"Alphonse, he's your brother. He'd be crushed if he knew."

"You have a brother, Al?" Mei said, too sick to have much of a reaction.

"Yeah. I have a brother. A brother I've done nothing but use."

_Let me use you like that. That bastard use him like that. Done nothing but use. Use you like that. Use him like that. Nothing but use. Use. Use. Use. _

"I knew that . . . he'd give me anything I wanted. I tried not to take advantage of the fact, and I hoped that he'd deny me it, like he would whenever I'd ask for a cat when I knew we wouldn't be able to take care of it. . . . But he didn't." Tears weld in Al's eyes, but he stayed strong. He refused to cry. He lifted his head up and looked Mei in the eye. "He answered my plea and let me ruin him, bit by bit. He let me take everything that only he could give. His time. His thoughts. His kiss. His virginity. He did nothing but give, even when I could only take. When I could give back, I did, but I couldn't give him enough because he just kept giving. His safety, his health, his sanity, everything. He gave until I had everything. . . . and it hurt. It wasn't equivalent exchange. It hurt him, and hurting him hurt me. I – I had to do something to make him stop. So I left. And I met you. . . . And here we are."

Mei, miraculously, smiled at Al.

Hoenheim couldn't help but wonder where all these understanding people kept coming from.

Mei patted Al's hand and closed her eyes, her face like an angel sent from the heavens. She reminded Hoenheim of Trisha. Trisha understood his suffering when he first met her, and he had opened up so easily to her. He did fall in love with Trisha . . . . Maybe Al would fall for Mei after all?

"I knew you were a wounded man when I met you," Mei said, her voice strained. "And I knew it had something to do with a man named Ed. You whisper his name in your sleep." Al blinked, surprised, and blushed. "As soon as Hoenheim said he was your brother . . . I already knew. I hope I can meet Ed. I think I'd like him very much."

If Al didn't fall in love with her first, Hoenheim thought he would. This girl was amazing.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Al remembered the day he robbed Ed of his virginity. It hurt to remember. He had been so _selfish_ he couldn't believe he'd let himself do it. But he did, and Ed hadn't stopped him.

They had been traveling for the Philosopher's Stone and had picked out a hotel room. It had been a rather run-down hotel in the first place – more like a motel, if Al were to be completely honest. But they had been conserving money, so it didn't matter. Al just wished his brother's first time had been in a nicer looking place. It had been a long day with no luck, and all either one of them wanted to do was rest. Though Al had been in his armor body, he still tired psychologically. Just watching Ed exhaust himself made him want to rest.

"Brother?" Al had asked, hesitantly, unsure if he should've been asking it.

"Yeah?" Ed had replied, sprawled carelessly and beautifully on the bed.

"I've been wondering . . . what you look like when . . . ."

Ed had tilted his head to the side, staring curiously and innocently up at him. "When what?"

"Well, when – when you orgasm. I've been wondering what you look like when you orgasm."

Ed had stared at him for a while and said, quite innocently, "You want to try then?"

The red lights that were supposed to be Al's eyes had turned into big charter-plate-sized circles. "What?"

Ed had propped himself onto his hands, his body curved unintentionally sexily. "Do you want to make me do that?"

Al had stuttered so badly it was a miracle he managed to get anything out at all. "Y-y-yes." Ed had smiled gently at him, stood up straighter, swung his legs over the side of the bed, spread them apart and propped himself on his hands again, hands on the bed behind his thighs.

If Al had a body at that moment, he would've had a nosebleed that would've made the biggest perverts in the world proud.

After so many years, Al still couldn't believe Ed had ever been so submissive, so willing. It completely went against everything else that he was, and yet Al couldn't really imagine him being anything else. Every time, Ed let him do whatever he wanted to him. Completely lose his mind and fuck him hard on the wall? Sure. Pin him to the bed or the floor and nail him so hard his automail arm almost comes loose? Why not. Act like an animal and do him doggie style with reckless abandon? For some reason, that was Ed's favorite.

And Al got the feeling Ed almost missed how he finger-fucked him with that leather glove that had been his fleshless hand for so long.

That was exactly how he took Ed's virginity – a clumsy, probably painful finger-fuck that only managed to brush the older brother's prostate because the fingers were so big.

Ed had mewled needily like a desperate cat and groaned and moaned like it was the best thing that ever happened to him. He had clung as tight as he could to Al's metallic body. Al wondered why he hadn't felt cold, Ed's flesh arm pressed to that unfeeling tin can. Ed had begged him for more, begged him for harder, begged like a deprived dog.

Al wondered how he could've done such a thing to Ed, how he could've made him so dependent on him.

Al had fucked him for forty-five minutes before Ed finally became exhausted. Al had to admit that Ed had been beautiful, his face flushed, his mouth hanging open with pleasure, his eyes shut as tightly as he could. But Ed was always beautiful. For some reason, he just seemed more so after being taken advantage of.

The more he thought about Ed before, during, and after sex, the more he remembered exactly _how _he had screwed his brother over the years. Ed had been sixteen when he first did him. He was now twenty-two. The years between the first and the last time were filled with . . . interesting sexual encounters. The first three years weren't capable of being anything more than variations of the same thing. Sometimes Ed would be on his hands and knees, sometimes he'd be lying on his back, other times he'd have his legs around Al's body the best he could, sitting in Al's lap. It was safe to say that Ed had been thoroughly molested before the age of nineteen. The last three years was when Al regained his body back.

When Al gave Ed his own virginity, it had been on Ed's bedroom floor, Ed's blond hair splayed on the hardwood beautifully, thighs pressed firmly against Al's sides, and Al completely overcome by the pleasurable sensations. Al couldn't remember how long he had thrusted, again and again and again, as fast and as hard as he could manage, making Ed whimper and moan and scream his name, louder and louder.

All so he could feel those feelings over and over. He hadn't given a second thought as to what he was doing to Ed's body. Not even when he didn't have a body of his own to pleasure. He loved watching Ed squirm and thrash, so much he discounted the mere idea that it could possibly hurt. He never let Ed top, and Ed never asked. The thought never occurred to him.

When it finally did, he soon found out that he couldn't make himself voice the suggestion. When he felt those lustful, sexual urges, he completely forgot about letting Ed top, letting Ed thrust into and abuse him. He just pounded into Ed again and again, forgetting again and again.

It hurt to hear Ed lie to him, to hear him say that it didn't hurt, that Al wasn't _capable_ of hurting him. Because he was, and lying about it wasn't going to change the fact.

Al wondered what it was he did to make his brother like that. He doubted Ed would've acted like that with anyone else. If Ed had Mustang as his first everything, he knew Ed would've yelled, blamed, and demanded. If Ed had Havoc or Fuery or anyone else as his first everything, he would've wanted equivalent exchange. He would've _required_ equivalent exchange.

Why couldn't he have been like anyone else? Why couldn't Ed have pretended he wasn't his "perfect" little brother and demand equivalent exchange? He would've stayed then. He wouldn't have abandoned Ed and hurt him the way he knew he did.

Al pulled his knees to his chest, refusing to cry. He wasn't blaming Ed for his actions. The only person he could blame was himself.


	7. Chapter 7

Red Roses2: For the sake of argument, let's just say they have answering machines in Ed's world, shall we?

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

When Hoenheim opened the door, he ducked instinctually. The sound of something breaking above his head and glass crashing to the floor echoed in his ears. A cold beverage doused his head, the liquid dampening his hair right to the roots. The smell of alcohol invaded his senses. Surprised, he looked at Ed, whose automail arm was still stretched out as though he had thrown something. His face was twisted in anger, and his cheeks were flushed.

"Where were you!?" Ed yelled, his body trembling with rage.

Hoenheim realized he hadn't planned a good lie beforehand.

"It's nothing, Ed." Hoenheim said, pushing his glasses farther up his nose.

Ed scoffed. "Nothing? _Nothing_? _Nothing_ kept you away for a _week_?" Ed's fists tightened, and he looked like he wanted to do nothing more but smack Hoenheim across the face.

Heinrich walked down the stairs. "Ed, what's going on?" Heinrich spotted Hoenheim and frowned. "Ed?"

Ed marched up to Hoenheim, pulled his automail arm back, and Hoenheim braced himself for impact.

SMACK!

Hoenheim hit the doorframe, a sharp pain shooting through his shoulder blades and his shoes crushing glass. His glasses fell to the floor, the left lens cracked.

"Stop lying to me!" Ed shouted, grabbing Hoenheim's coat and pulling his face an inch away from his own. "Why didn't you say you knew where Al was!?"

Hoenheim's eyes widened and then closed. He pulled his eldest into his arms and held him tight. Ed froze, confused. Over Ed's shoulder, Hoenheim glared at Heinrich. Heinrich glared back.

"Someone had to say something," Heinrich said, as though that justified it.

Hoenheim disregarded the young man on the stairs and pulled away from Ed, resting his hands on his shoulders.

"Ed, are you sure you want to know why I didn't tell you?" Hoenheim whispered, as though not saying it loudly would make it hurt less. Ed furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes brimming with confusion.

"Why are you asking me that?" Ed asked.

Hoenheim knelt down so he and Ed were at eye level and cupped Ed's cheek in his right hand.

"Al's married, Ed."

Slowly, Ed's confused expression gave way to disbelief, his eyes widening. He shook his head in a painfully slow manner, his eyes welling up with tears. Again. He turned his head away from Hoenheim's hand, shutting his eyes as tight as he could. His shoulders began to shake.

"W-who - ?"

Hoenheim readjusted his hands on Ed's shoulders, keeping his grip gentle yet firm.

"Her name is Mei, and she lives in Xing. They may move to Central once she's recovered from her illness."

Ed's entire frame shook.

"Oh. . . . Is there more? A-about her and Al?"

Hoenheim frowned. "You're too perceptive. Yes. She's about four months pregnant with Al's child."

He could just _see_ Ed's heart shattering into a thousand million pieces. Ed broke out of his father's grip and ran up the stairs, Hoenheim only able to catch a small glimpse of the dam of tears that just broke. Ed ran to his room and shut the door. Hoenheim sighed and traveled into the kitchen for a rag. Someone had to clean up the broken glass.

Hoenheim could hear Edward Heinrich ask his brother what happened.

"It's a family thing between Mr. Hoenheim and Ed. It's none of our business, Brother." Hoenheim snorted at the irony in that sentence. None of 'our' business, his foot. Ed wouldn't have been in tears right now if Heinrich had just kept his damn mouth shut.

Hoenheim turned around and almost bumped into Wendy. She smiled at him and held her hand out for the rag.

"I can clean it up, Mr. Hoenheim," she said.

He shook his head. "I'll do it, Wendy. Besides, when Ed wants to be alone, there isn't anyone who can force him to do otherwise." Wendy frowned. "And we wouldn't want you to hurt yourself. What with the baby and all." She grunted and set her hands on her hips.

"You sound just like Edward. Between you, him, and Alfons, I won't be able to do anything. At least Mr. Elric knows I don't like sitting all day." With that, she turned away and disappeared. Hoenheim stared after her, wondering what it was he said.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich knocked on Ed's bedroom door.

"Ed?"

No response. He pushed the door open and poked his head in. Ed lay on his stomach, face buried in his pillow, hands fisted in the pillow case. Heinrich stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Ed, do you want to talk about it?"

Slowly – painfully so – Ed lifted his head off of the pillow and looked at him. He pushed himself up until he was sitting on his knees. Heinrich walked over to the bed and sat, pulling his right leg up so that his ankle was resting on the edge of the mattress. He propped his hands onto his ankle and leaned forward.

"I know your brother meant a lot to you. In more ways than one." Heinrich lifted his hand, cupped Ed's cheek, and rubbed a tear stain away with his thumb. "If you need anyone to turn to, I'm here."

Ed adjusted himself so he was sitting next to Heinrich, legs dangling off the side of the bed. Heinrich slipped his right leg back over the bed and circled an arm around Ed's shoulders, pulling him closer. Ed looked into Heinrich's eyes as though searching for something.

"Did Dad tell you?"

Heinrich shook his head.

"I found out on my own. He said someone you fell in love with hurt you, and you're so cut up over your brother, I pieced it together."

Heinrich wasn't sure when he started running his hand through Ed's bangs. But Ed didn't seem to mind.

"Why do you care about me so much?" Ed whispered.

Heinrich wondered when he started leaning closer to Ed, their lips coming closer and closer. . . .

"Because I love you." Whispered, his breath mingling with Ed's.

Their lips connected softly. There was no demand. There was no sexual passion. It was soft and gentle and just what Ed needed.

They sat like that until Heinrich pulled away. Their gazes locked, and Ed blushed. Heinrich smiled.

"But – but I can't - ," Ed started, but Heinrich pressed a finger to his mouth.

"Shhh. It's okay. I know you don't love me. Yet. You're in a lot of pain right now, and I understand that. I'll just have to wait."

Ed looked like he was going to start crying again.

"That's not fair for you," he insisted, but Heinrich shook his head.

"When you were talking about alchemy, you mentioned equivalent exchange: you have to give something in order to have something. You've given me something I've never had before. It's only fair I give you a chance to open up to something you've never had, either."

"But what did I give you?"

Heinrich pressed his forehead onto Ed's, still smiling.

"You're so wonderful and beautiful that I have a courage I never had before. A happiness I've never had before."

Heinrich pulled away, stood up, and crossed the room. Once he reached the door, he looked over his shoulder.

"Wendy cooked dinner. You should eat some. She's a really good cook."

"Heinrich, what do you mean by something I've never had?" Ed asked, standing up as well, his cheeks a delicious cherry.

Heinrich's eyes curved as his smile widened.

"I'll stay with you." Ed's eyes widened. "I'll never leave you, especially if you need me like you needed Alphonse Elric."

Heinrich left the room. Ed fell back onto the bed, staring at the doorway in wonder.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Hoenheim walked up the stairs to check on Ed, but he caught Heinrich leaving his room. Heinrich smiled brightly at him as he passed him on the stairs. Hoenheim watched him, unsure on how to feel about that smile.

He continued up the stairs and reached Ed's room. The expression on his eldest's face was worrisome. He reminded him of an empty doll that forever had an awed expression.

"Ed?" Hoenheim said.

Ed snapped out of it and looked up at him.

"Huh?"

"What happened with Heinrich?"

A blush took over Ed's face, and he looked down.

"Nothing. Nothing happened. Everything's fine. Um, Wendy's made dinner, right?"

Hoenheim furrowed his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes. Ed tried to pass him, but he grabbed his elbow.

"Ed, what did he do to you?"

Ed's expression turned to irked, much more reminiscent of the boy Hoenheim used to recognize as his son.

"He didn't do anything! What's with you? First you disappear for a week and then you start bossing me around? I'm a grown man, for God's sake!"

He ripped his arm out of Hoenheim's grasp and stomped down the stairs, officially feeling not-depressed.

~!#$%^&*()_+

It did not escape Edward and Wendy that something was bothering Heinrich and Hoenheim. The two kept glaring at each other. And Ed seemed determined not to pay it any attention. All the married couple could do was look at each other and at the other members of the make-shift family.

It looked like this would be one of the many things that they'd just have to get used to in this strange place.

"So, Edward," said Ed; the likeness between the two still bothered Edward. "how's the job hunting going?"

"Not bad," Edward said. "I think I've got a job fixing trains for the Central Train Station. It's similar to what I did back home, so it shouldn't be too hard. The models are a little strange, though."

Ed hummed to himself. "If you need any help with the alchemically run ones, just call Dad. He doesn't do anything useful around here, anyway."

"I do, too," Hoenheim complained.

Ed rolled his eyes. "_Sure_ you do. You cook worse than Winry and you don't do your own laundry." He popped a forkful of potato into his mouth, chewed for a minute, and swallowed. "You don't have a job, you don't _want_ one, and any house chores you _do_ accomplish can be done _better_ by me, Heinrich, and now Wendy."

Hoenheim grunted, not denying any of it.

"Speaking of jobs," Edward said, "what have you been doing, Alfons?"

Alfons swallowed the food that he had been chewing.

"I've been building an airplane in the backyard. I plan on showing it to the military and hopefully get a good price for it," Heinrich explained.

Ed perked up a little. Edward, however, looked appalled.

"You're selling it to the _military_?" Edward gasped. Wendy almost choked on the water she just swallowed.

"Yeah. The same one Ed works for," Heinrich added, stuffing a forkful of greens into his mouth.

Ed swallowed. "If you sell it to Mustang, he'll finally get that promotion he's been saying he wants. I'm getting sick and tired of hearing him go on and on about it. And he's the only one with a decent position that I can threaten to pay good for it if he tries to weasel out of paying what it's worth." Ed smirked, already imagining what he'd do to his beloved colonel.

Heinrich laughed.

"You don't like him very much, do you?" he asked, grinning.

Ed shrugged. "He could be worse. I'm still mad at him for giving me so much crap about my height, though." Then he sniggered. "Now I have the perfect revenge if he makes a short joke before he buys it." Even Hoenheim didn't manage to fight off a fit of giggles at the image. "Ah, how I love payback."

Edward and Wendy shared another look. This wasn't turning out to be especially good.

"Um," Wendy started, "what do you do in your military?"

Ed leaned back in his chair. "Well, for a long time I was researching the Philosopher's Stone and homunculi, which are these theoretically immortal, man-made humans. Three years ago, I finished with that, and now I investigate unnatural occurrences in the areas of the military's jurisdiction, like illegal transmutations and mysterious portals that take you to an entirely different dimension that has people who look like people you know but are completely different." Ed rested his flesh elbow on the table and placed his chin in his palm. "Kind of like the dimension you three came from."

"D-dimension?" Edward stuttered. "L-like in those science-fiction novels?"

"Uh, yeah," Heinrich said. "Did I forget to mention that?"

Edward and Wendy shared a third look.

"Will we be able to go back home?" Wendy asked.

Ed gave her a skeptical look. "Do you _want_ to go back?" Wendy shook her head. "Good. We're trying to figure out a way to close it before the guys on your side of it figure out it's there and try to do something stupid with it."

Edward glared at Ed. "But what about the rest of our family?! You're just going to keep us away from them?"

"Brother!" Heinrich said. "Please, it's safer here. And Mom and Dad are fine."

"Zip it, Alfons!" Edward snapped. "Well, Mr. Know-It-All?"

Ed sighed. "I'm not keeping you from doing anything. But I think Heinrich wants to stay, and he wants you and Wendy safe. So if you ever want to see your brother again, I suggest you stay in this dimension."

Edward gritted his teeth, and then took out all his anger on the meat on his plate. He chewed it more times than necessary before swallowing and mercilessly chewing another piece. Wendy sighed and sipped some of her water. Ed calmly ate the rest of his food, not bothered in the least by his counterpart's attitude. Hoenheim and Heinrich silently went back to their glaring fest, one wishing to curse him for being an incompetent father, the other quietly threatening him about taking advantage of a vulnerable Edward Elric.


	8. Chapter 8

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Tink, tink, squeak, squeak, wring, wring, tink, tink, sigh. Heinrich wiped the sweat off his forehead, calling it a day. He had been working on the airplane for five hours straight. Grumble, grumble, rumble. He grinned embarrassedly; apparently his stomach agreed with him.

"Wow, Heinrich," said Ed, leaning over the backyard fence. Heinrich looked over at him; since he still wore the red coat, that meant he just came home from work. "It looks amazing."

Heinrich grinned. "Just wait until you ride in it!"

Ed blanched. "Me? Ride that thing?"

"Why not? I'm installing a second cockpit for the sole reason that two people can ride it. Of course, the main driver will be the one in the forefront cockpit, but if anything were to happen to him, shotgun could take over if necessary. It's just that the first one overrides any messages the back one would send out." Heinrich realized he completely lost Ed as soon as he said cockpit. "You want a closer look?"

Ed laughed nervously. "I think I'm okay over here." He patted the fence and wandered to the front door. Heinrich sighed appreciatively and gave his airplane one last look. It really was a beautiful machine.

Heinrich entered the house via the back kitchen door, catching Ed already starting on house chores.

"Wendy told you to leave the dishes for her to do," Heinrich said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms good-naturedly.

"Well, she's been really tired lately, and she wouldn't notice if some of the dishes seemed to do themselves. . . ." Ed tried to convince, not just Heinrich, but himself. Heinrich chuckled and came over to Ed.

"Besides, you'll get your prosthetic water-logged. I've seen it dripping like a rain cloud after you get out of the shower."

Ed sent him a suspicious look. "What have you been doing looking at me after I get out of the shower, anyway?"

"It's not my fault you cross the hall with nothing but a towel around your waist every morning." Heinrich grinned. "Nice evaporating trick, by the way. With the clapping and everything."

Ed grunted. "It's _alchemy_, or at least a simple form of it."

Heinrich took the plate and soap sponge out of Ed's hands. "You said you needed a heathen circle to do it."

"_Transmutation_ circle, not _heathen_ circle!" Ed snapped, then realized getting him riled up was Heinrich's plan and blushed. He crossed his arms. "You're in a teasing mood today."

"Sorry. It's just so much fun."

That grin was starting to get on Ed's nerves. Without thinking, Ed addressed Heinrich's unspoken question. "As for why I don't need one, that's what happens when you cross into God's domain."

Heinrich looked at him curiously, and Ed realized what he just said. His shoulders slumped, and he unconsciously gripped his automail arm.

Heinrich turned the sink off. He lifted Ed's chin up and turned his head towards him.

"What do you mean?" Heinrich asked.

Ed turned his head away from him, refused to look at him. Only bird chirps and the sound of cars driving past reached their ears. He was silent for so long Heinrich thought he wasn't going to get an answer.

"When my mother died, I was determined to bring her back. Al helped me, even though he had his doubts. On whether or not it could be done. But I wanted her back so badly, I ignored everything that said we couldn't. . . . We brought something to life, but it wasn't our mother. . . . It died quickly. Al's body wasn't anywhere to be found, and I had a bleeding stump for a leg. . . . . I was so scared I had lost the only person I had left. Alchemy isn't supposed to bring things to life. I did the first thing I could think of; I locked Al's soul in a suit of armor using alchemy. . . . ."

Heinrich leaned against the sink's edge and crossed his arms.

"And?" he said, rather skeptically.

Ed glared at him. "I'm not lying!"

"Well, if you leave it at just that, it's a little hard to believe. I mean, if I ever meet your brother, it's not going to be a suit of armor, will it?" Heinrich replied.

"No! We fixed that a while ago!"

Heinrich smiled embarrassedly, realizing he really hurt Ed's ego.

"Okay, okay, what happened after that?" Ed kept glaring at him. "I believe you, I promise."

Ed looked at him suspiciously, but then sighed and flexed his automail arm. "Because I needed material for the soul transfusion, I lost my right arm. If Al hadn't gotten me to the Rockbell house, I probably would've died that day. The Rockbells were the ones who healed me and gave me these limbs." He tapped his metal foot on the hardwood floor for good measure. After that, Al and I went on a journey to figure out how we could get his body back. The original plan was to get my arm and leg back too, but that turned out to be impossible. It was one or the other, I took the decision into my own hands, and now he looks like a normal person. . . . ."

Heinrich frowned as Ed's eyes watered. But the alchemist didn't cry this time.

"When we had tried to bring Mom back, there had been this door. And a creature without a face. I asked him what he was . . . and he said he was God. I don't know if it was true or not. After all, who would be able to say otherwise? It was kind of creepy, if it was. It gave me, and Al, the power to transmute without a transmutation circle. . . . And then returned us to the nightmare we had created for ourselves."

Ed forced a smile on his face.

"It's pretty useful. While other alchemists need gloves or bracelets or tattoos on their hands, I can just clap them together and do whatever I want. It's really good in a jam."

Ed noticed the kind of blank look Heinrich was giving him now.

"And now you think I'm crazy."

Edward Elric reached out to continue washing the dishes, but Heinrich grabbed his wrist – his automail one. Ed looked up at him, confused.

"You're not crazy," Heinrich said, smiling. "Even if you were, I guess it wouldn't matter." He placed a kiss on Ed's cheek for good measure. "That wouldn't stop it from being true."

Ed blushed, his cheeks a bright cherry red that spread across his nose. With eyes wide in surprise, Heinrich just had to add, "You're so cute."

He circled his arms around Ed's waist and pulled him closer. Ed's face turned a deeper red. Heinrich ran his hand through Ed's hair, getting tangled up in his braid. Ed's breath got caught up in his chest as Heinrich's hand pressed the small of his back.

And the front door opened.

"Wendy, Alfons, we're - !" Edward Heinrich called, walking into the hall with Hoenheim behind him. He saw his little brother, positioned like that, with the guy who looked _just like him_. As did Hoenheim.

Heinrich and Ed looked at the other two. Edward's jaw dropped, more shocked than he had ever been in his entire life – and that was saying something.

Hoenheim narrowed his eyes, the vein in his forehead throbbing.

"Paws. _Off_." Hoenheim hissed.

Edward could see the momentary rebellion behind his brother's eyes, but Heinrich relented, looking very disappointed. He removed his hand from Ed's waist, but his fingers were caught in the braid. Ed pulled his hair over his left shoulder, releasing Heinrich's fingers with the tiny sounds of hairs breaking in two.

Ed's entire face glowed like a strobe light.

"Um," Ed muttered. "I was supposed to be doing something."

"You were going to let me do it," Heinrich lied, nudging Ed away from the sink.

Whether or not Ed remembered that was the _opposite_ of what he had been doing, he didn't let on. He just grunted pointlessly and quickly weaseled his way out of the kitchen and up to his room, face the reddest thing Hoenheim had ever seen.

Hoenheim glared death itself at Heinrich. The engineer stood tall and smirked victoriously. Edward gaped uselessly next to Hoenheim.

"Alfons?" Edward finally gasped out.

"Yes, Brother?"

"W-what was that?"

Heinrich's smirk turned into a sad smile as he looked at his older brother.

"It wasn't anything I haven't seen you and Wendy do," Heinrich said, not exactly answering the question. But Edward got the point.

"B-but he's a boy."

"I know, Brother."

Edward pointed up the stairs.

"He looks just like me."

"I know, Brother."

"You've only known him for a couple months."

"You didn't know Wendy that long before you married her, either, Brother."

Panic set into Edward's expression.

"You're married!?"

Heinrich laughed. "No, no. We're not married."

Edward breathed a sigh of relief, grabbing the spot right over his heart. He looked like he just survived a heart attack. Then the older brother continued to look at Heinrich like he couldn't believe his eyes.

"He's a _boy_."

"We've addressed that already."

Edward opened his mouth once more, but Hoenheim clapped a hand on his shoulder. Edward looked up, and he flinched back in fear.

Hoenheim's glare scared the crap out of him.

"If you have a problem with my son, you and your wife can move out," Hoenheim threatened. He turned his glare onto Heinrich. "And if he's not careful, your brother will join you." He narrowed his eyes dangerously, but Heinrich didn't look affected. "If you take advantage of him, God help you because I'll make you regret it."

With that, Hoenheim traveled up the stairs. Edward collapsed to the floor, the emotional rollercoaster he was forced on finally crashing into numb shock.

Heinrich, on the other hand, turned towards the sink and started washing the dishes like he told Ed he would.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed had buried his face into a pillow and didn't look like he would be emerging anytime soon. Hoenheim let him stew in his embarrassment. He wondered what it was like to live your teenaged years with the responsibility of an adult, and then to begin to live your adult life like an inexperienced teen.

He checked on Wendy to see that she was taking a well-deserved nap. Pregnancy was an important and difficult job. If Trisha had taught him anything, it had been that.

Since he didn't think he'd be able to resist the urge to punch Heinrich, he pulled into park in his own bedroom and sat on his own bed, unintentionally mirroring his eldest as he buried his face into his hands.

Why was parenthood so hard?


	9. Chapter 9

Red Roses2: *laugh* I'm so shameless.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Hoenheim ran to the phone, nearly knocking Ed over in his haste. He grabbed it before Wendy could fully extend her hand. He tripped over Heinrich's tool bag and had to grip the counter for dear life. He looked ridiculous, hunched over the counter like that.

Breathless, he answered, "Van Hoenheim speaking."

"Mei gave birth," Al's voice sounded like a welcomed angel, a hint that there was another part of his life that didn't fly like a hawk around Heinrich's advances on Ed, Wendy's impending pregnancy, and Edward's ill-timed complaints.

"How'd that go?"

Hoenheim could hear the happy sobs.

"Your granddaughter is healthy and beautiful. And Mei is just fine. She's already looking through magazines to find the perfect house in Central. . . ."

Hoenheim could sense a question begging to be asked.

"That's great. If you need to, you three could stay here while you looked."

"I don't think her family would – wait a second, Dad."

Hoenheim raised his eyebrows as he heard some mumbles and the phone being ripped from Al's grip. Oh no.

"This Alphonse's father?" asked a deep male voice. Hoenheim paled.

"Yes. . . ."

"This is Fu Yao. I am Mei's step-father." Hoenheim remembered him. The mustached Xingese man had been the first of Mei's family to confront him when he arrived at the wedding; Fu had smacked him across the face and said he should "be ashamed you ever let Alphonse out of your sight, him impregnating innocent young maidens like Mei." Hoenheim had just stared at him, his glasses slipping off his nose comically. "Mei tells me they'll be moving to Central for better career opportunities and to meet the rest of your . . . clan."

"Al was telling me the same, yes. . . ." He resisted the urge to ask why it concerned Fu.

"I believe Ran Fan, Ling, and I should meet them, as well."

Hoenheim tried to remember who Ran Fan and Ling were.

". . . . You mean your children from your first marriage? The ninja woman and . . . ." He wasn't stupid enough to voice his opinion of the young man who ate three times as much as anyone else at the wedding.

"Yes. So, when is a suitable time to visit?" Fu asked.

"One moment, please," Hoenheim said, looking like he was going to cry. He covered the receiver and turned to Wendy, Ed, Edward, and Heinrich. "Al's wife's family wants to visit. . . . What should I say?"

They all stared blankly at him.

"Al?" Edward and Wendy said in unison.

Heinrich frowned. Hoenheim couldn't see Ed's eyes through his bangs.

"Whenever's good for me," Ed said slowly.

Hoenheim nodded and put his ear back to the phone.

"We're flexible. Come when you can."

"See you in a week, then," Fu said, then abruptly hung up. Hoenheim furrowed his eyebrows, looked at the phone, then hung up. Slowly, he stood up straight and turned towards the others.

"I think we're all going to hate this." Hoenheim concluded.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Breda plopped the papers on Mustang's desk. Mustang sighed and pulled them towards them. Breda sipped his coffee and lingered. Mustang looked up inquisitively.

"So," Breda whispered, "what's up with Major Fullmetal?"

Mustang propped his elbow on the desk and rested his chin in his palm.

"I have no idea," Mustang mumbled. "Apparently, his brother is coming back, but he doesn't seem to be happy about it."

Breda frowned. He bit the inside of his lip, scratched the side of his head, then walked away, his shoulders drooped the same as everyone else's. It was the universal stance that meant "Wish I could help, but I've got nothin'."

At his own desk, Ed sat doing paperwork, the epitome of depression. Shoulders slumped, eyelids drooped, no complaints about the huge stacks that the closing of the portal was creating, bangs hanging in front of his face without being brushed out of the way – and what one could see of his eyes sparkled with tears.

Havoc walked up to Ed's desk and placed a Styrofoam cup on top of his paperwork. Ed glanced at it, curiosity glinting out of his stupor.

"Here. It's hot chocolate from Sheska's department," Havoc said, a smirk adoring his features.

Ed looked up at the lieutenant, eyebrow raised.

"How'd you get it?" Ed asked; in addition to being a walking library, Sheska was infamous for her chocoholic tendencies. Once chocolate was in her possession, it was there to stay.

Havoc winked at him.

"I have my ways. Besides, it's your favorite."

Ed smiled thankfully.

"You're really sweet. Those girls really don't know what they're passing up."

Havoc blushed furiously. He cleared his throat. "Tell me about it." He wasn't fooling anyone; he never heard praise like that, and he was loving every minute of it. "You up for another dinner out? Fuery's joining."

"Breda and Falman ditching you again for their dates?" Ed asked, smiling.

"Yeah," Havoc sighed. "Falman with the well-built Maria, and Breda with the beautiful Rebecca." Havoc placed a hand on his hip and leaned on Ed's desk, propping himself up with his arm. "How can they get dates and I can't?"

"I think you're trying too hard," Ed replied. "I mean, I got a - ." He cut off and blushed. "Never mind. Need to work now. See you later."

Havoc tilted his head to the side.

"Hm? You have a girlfriend?"

"I never said that!"

The fear in his voice escalated, surprising Havoc and alerting Mustang. Mustang got up from his desk and walked over.

"Is everything all right?" Mustang asked.

Havoc shrugged. "I just asked if he had a girlfriend. . . ."

Mustang slapped his forehead. Without saying a word, the colonel grabbed Havoc's wrist, pulled him into his office, and closed the door. Only after he secured the lock did Mustang turn to Havoc. A serious expression lay upon his features, and Havoc couldn't help but wonder what he did.

"You understand that it wasn't until a year ago that homosexuality was accepted in this military, right?" Mustang began. Havoc nodded; it had been the hot topic of the month for five months straight. "When Edward was fourteen, there was a mix-up with his research journal and his diary." Havoc's eyes widened as he realized where this was going. "Only Hughes and I ever saw it, but Ed was terrified. It took hours to calm him down. He thought we were going to out him in front of the entire military and get him fired. IT was even more horrifying for him since I was the one making him feel . . . hot and bothered at the time. To this day, he's still scared stiff we're all going to ostracize him or something. It doesn't matter seventy-five percent of the homosexual soldiers have come out of the closet proudly. Part of him is afraid and he can't let go of it. Do you understand?"

Havoc tried to imagine what that would be like, to live in fear that people you considered friends would abandon you once they knew you weren't like them. His eyes widened slowly as he started to relate.

"Yes. I understand," Havoc said heavily, pity shining in his eyes.

Mustang smiled.

"So, he almost let slip he had a boyfriend," Mustang said, almost as if to say "on a lighter note."

Havoc nodded. "Yeah, he said I'm trying too hard to get the ladies and when he was about to explain how he knew, he cut off." He smirked and shrugged. "All I know is that girls are different from guys. While a guy's happy with whatever he can screw, girls - ."

Havoc and Mustang mirrored each other's horrified expressions as they thought of the same scenario: what if Ed was being used for an asshole who just wanted a fuck toy?

They both thought up the same plan to find out.

"Mission Investigay?" Havoc questioned with a straight face and a completely serious tone.

"Mission Investigay," Mustang agreed with an affirmative nod and a determined glare.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Havoc, Fuery, and Ed sat at the bar, Havoc drinking a beer, Fuery hoping no one would notice it was a margarita, and Ed nursing a soft drink. Despite being over twenty-one, Ed refused to drink even the smallest bit of alcohol, even if it was medicinal wine. Because of that, Ed was always the designated driver.

Whether or not Ed noticed the bar was managed by Mustang's step-mother, Havoc wasn't sure.

Pretty ladies manned the bar and the tables, dressed in skimpy miniskirts and breasts bursting out of their shirts. Drunk men and men who would soon _be_ drunk littered the bar in every corner.

Havoc sometimes wondered if Ed ever felt uncomfortable in surroundings like this, but the Fullmetal Alchemist never let on. Havoc wondered just how much Fullmetal kept under wraps. The memory of Ed collapsing into Mustang's arms, in tears, flashed in front of his eyes, and it didn't make sense that the young man in front of him and that broken heap of blubbering yet handsome clothes were the same person.

Ed rested his chin in his palm. "Managed to ask Lieutenant Hawkeye out yet, Fuery?" he asked.

Fuery sighed dejectedly. "No. I don't think I ever will."

Ed smiled kindly. "Don't count yourself out yet. You just need to relax a bit."

"If you say so," Fuery sipped his drink. "I've been wondering, Major. How come you haven't had a date yet?"

Ed stiffened. Havoc's eyebrow twitched.

"I mean," continued Fuery, "you're more attractive than both Lieutenant Havoc _and_ me, and when you get past that temper of yours, you're perfect Chick Magnet material. So why do you hang out with us still?"

Havoc glared at Fuery. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, annoyed at the insinuation that the guy-bonding wasn't fun and trying to change the subject.

Ed raised his glass to his lips and took a long, large gulp. He slowly set it back on the table, threw his shoulders back, and took a deep breath.

"It's not that I don't get dates. . . . I just find time to hang out with you guys. . . . ." Ed muttered nonchalantly, as though the subject matter didn't mean anything to any of them.

Fuery's eyes widened. "Really? And she doesn't mind?"

Ed gave him an apologetic smile. "Fuery, if she cares what you do in your free time, she's not worth it."

The amazed look on Fuery's face was priceless. Havoc snorted and tried to keep himself from bursting out laughing. With his new tidbit of information, Fuery went back to nursing his margarita, a pensive expression shining in those dark irises.

Havoc took a deep breath, encouraged by how Fuery's questionnaire went.

"How _do_ those significant others treat you?" Havoc asked, hoping he came off as nonchalant. Ed jumped, startled, as though he was Hawkeye and caught him not doing his paperwork. "I mean, it'd be nice if we had a model of dos and don'ts, and you wouldn't take any crap from anyone, right?"

Ed seemed to calm down a little bit, but not the way anyone who cared about him would've wanted. He went from startled to morose in almost two seconds flat. Havoc furrowed his eyebrows worriedly.

"I don't think I'm a good model for that. . . . I mean – I thought I was doing everything right . . . . I thought . . . we were happy. . . ."

Suddenly, it made sense how the blubbering, handsome, weak-kneed mound of clothes and the Fullmetal Alchemist could be the same person. . . . .

Wait. . . . .

He had been crying over Al that day. . . . .

Havoc's eyes widened to thrice their original size.

Holy . . . . _crap_. . . .

Havoc tried to keep his cool. After all, he didn't know for sure. Besides, it was ridiculous. Right?

"D-did she up and disappear one day?" Havoc inquired, hoping against hope that he was wrong.

Ed nodded and proceeded to glue his glass to his lips. Havoc grunted.

"Same one you mentioned earlier today?"

Ed shook his head. "Not really. But I don't really know if we're really . . . like that yet. But they're kind of the same. . . and yet completely different."

Havoc leaned back in his chair, trying to figure Ed's answers out. It was like those word puzzles in the newspaper he hid under his desk from Hawkeye. He had to fill in the gaps to make the sentence make sense.

He never was very good at those.

"Does that mean she's nicer?"

A small smile graced Ed's features, but Havoc could tell it wasn't happy. A small blush marred the face the lieutenant was so used to seeing sneers or cheeky grins on.

"I'm not sure. They're both very kind to me. I guess I messed up with the first one."

As plausible as that sounded, why did Havoc get the feeling that wasn't it? As the lieutenant glanced over at Fuery, considering his interrogation of Fullmetal complete, he caught the suspicious look on the sergeant's face. Their eyes locked, and they nodded in unison.

Looked like Havoc gained another investigator in Mission Investigay.


	10. Chapter 10

Red Roses2: Ah, I love Ling Yao. I also really like how this chapter ended.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Al stared out of the train window, watching the houses, trees, and people fly past. So many times he had seen the same scenes, but never had Mei been sitting across from him. It had always been Ed before – beautiful Ed, dynamic Ed, valiant Ed. . . .

"Did you ever play games of pretend when you were little?" Al asked suddenly, glancing at Mei.

Mei blinked curiously, their adorable daughter in her arms. She looked up at the ceiling as though her memories were plastered on the train ceiling.

"Sure we did," answered Ran Fan, arms crossed and a permanent frown on her face. "It was our duty as older siblings to appease Mei."

Ling leaned on his elbow, his ponytail invading Al's personal space – not that the young Xingese man cared.

"Yeah. I remember when we'd reenact the Golden Alchemist legend and how the Battle of the Boarders ended." Ling gave Mei a disbelieving look. "You were a weird kid, Mei. What kind of seven-year-old _wants _to act out a _history_ lesson?"

Mei stuck her tongue out at him. Al smiled sadly.

"My brother and I used to play with our friend Winry all the time. Winry always insisted we play house or save the princess." Al chuckled a little. "The weird part about it was Winry always wanted Ed to be the princess or the wife. Watching them argue had been hilarious."

_I'm not a girl, Winry! But you'd look better in this dress! No, Winry! _

_It looks cute on you, Brother. I'm only doing this because you did the puppy dog eyes. I know, Brother. But why make me wear it when Winry's too sick to play?_

Because even as a six-year-old, he was a sick-minded manipulator who wanted his brother all to himself. And he hated himself for it.

Ling and Ran Fan shared a look. Mei's husband tended to start strange conversations and then lose himself in his own world.

Mei smiled reassuringly at Al, knowing who preoccupied her husband's thoughts. She wondered if Ed would like her.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Wendy screamed and breathed rapidly. All Edward could do was hold her hand. Hoenheim was in position to catch the baby. Ed clapped his hands together and reheated the water in the tub. Heinrich stood in the kitchen, hanging up the phone angrily.

"Selfish bastard of a doctor!" Heinrich yelled at the phone. He quickly grabbed some towels and hurried up the stairs, taking two at a time. "The doctor's not coming!"

"WHAT!?" Wendy screeched. Edward's face paled.

"It's going to be fine," insisted Hoenheim. "Nothing bad will happen to this baby."

Wendy screamed again.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Al rang the doorbell, and the door opened almost immediately. He came face to face . . . with himself.

The look alike glared at him.

"Oh. You must be Al Elric."

Al nodded, his voice failing him.

The look alike stepped aside and the Elric-Yao family entered.

"Mr. Hoenheim! Ed! They're here!"

The "thump-clomp" sound of Ed's feet echoed into the hall, and soon Ed appeared on the stairs.

"Hi," Ed said breathlessly. "Um, Dad will come down soon. We just delivered a baby two minutes ago. Dad's cleaning the little guy up."

Mei's face lit up. "Who're the happy parents?"

Ed smiled awkwardly. "Wendy and Edward Heinrich. They've been living here for a while, as has Alfons Heinrich." Ed pointed to Al's look alike. "I'm Ed."

Mei nodded. "I'm Mei, this is my half brother Ling, my half sister Ran Fan, and my step father, Fu. And this adorable angel is Ming."

Ed's gaze landed on the bundle of cuteness in Mei's arms. Ed forced his smile to be wider.

"If you'd like to come into the living room? We'll be right with you." Ed said, his shoulders starting to shake.

As the visitors trooped into the living room, Ling leaned over and whispered into Ran Fan's ear, "Why'd he sound like concierge at a hotel?" Ran Fan shrugged.

Heinrich followed Ed into the kitchen. Ed put the kettle on and turned the faucet on. Heinrich grabbed Ed's shoulders and turned him around.

"Are you all right?" Heinrich asked.

"This isn't about me," Ed said emotionlessly. "This is about Wendy and her baby boy, and Al's new family. I'm not important today. Okay?"

Heinrich frowned, then kissed Ed's lips softly.

"You take care of Wendy. I'll handle them until Hoenheim comes down. Okay?"

Ed nodded and left the kitchen to do just that. Heinrich made the tea and brought it to the living room.

~!#$%^&*()_+

When Hoenheim finally entered the living room, he raised his eyebrows. He could feel the tension in the air. Heinrich seemed incapable of releasing the grip on his knees or the grimace that was pretending to be a welcoming grin. Ling looked bored, lounging perfectly comfortably in the loveseat, his tea cup completely drained. Ran Fan and Fu apparently insisted on standing; they reminded Hoenheim of imposing sentinels. Al looked terrified of what Heinrich obviously wanted to do to him. Mei sat nervously next to Al, breast-feeding Ming.

Hoenheim sighed.

"I'm afraid dinner hasn't been prepared yet. Is there anything specific you would like?" Hoenheim asked.

Ling responded as though he had lived in the house all his life. "Egg Foo Yung, with lots of pork."

Fu and Ran Fan merely stared at him, as though all the problems in their lives were his fault.

"Anything is fine, Mr. Hoenheim," Mei said.

Hoenheim smiled at her. She was so sweet!

"I guess I should - ," Hoenheim started, but Ed whizzed past him.

"I'll cook!" Ed practically yelled, running into the kitchen.

Everyone stared at Ed's retreating back. Heinrich stood up and followed him. Hoenheim sighed. Al relaxed and slumped his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Al said.

"I know," said Hoenheim.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ling apparently liked Ed's cooking, seeing that he ate five helpings of it. Even Ran Fan didn't have anything bad to say about it. Wendy was asleep upstairs, and Edward refused to leave her or the baby. Heinrich had taken Edward his plate.

Mei smiled at Ed. "Dinner was great," she said. Ran Fan nodded in agreement.

"Thanks," Ed muttered, his plate still littered with food.

Ling propped his elbow on the table and placed his chin on his knuckles. A smirk lay upon his lips.

"So Mei, how come you didn't marry the _cute_ brother?" Ling asked.

Mei glared at Ling, and Al covered his eyes, his cheeks flaming. Hoenheim halted the fork's journey to his mouth.

"I mean," Ling continued, "this one actually _cooks_ and doesn't space out all the time. Also," he grinned. "you look a lot like that Fullmetal Alchemist Amestris is so proud of. You him?"

Ed nodded, his entire face bright red; flattery was officially his greatest weakness, after insults.

"He even has a job!" Ling added. "You single?"

Ed's eyes widened.

"He's not interested," Hoenheim snapped as Fu admonished his middle child.

Ling shrugged and leaned back in his chair.

"And for the record," said Heinrich, just now coming back from upstairs. He walked around the table to where Ed sat and put his arms around Ed's shoulders. "No, he's not available." Heinrich smiled in a deceptively pleasant way. Ed blushed madly and refused to look at Al.

Al lifted his face out of his hand and stared at Heinrich for a moment or two. He frowned but didn't say anything.

Hoenheim glared at Heinrich.

"I'm not going to tell you again," the father warned. Heinrich sent him a daring look. Hoenheim narrowed his eyes.

Ed abruptly stood up and grabbed the empty dirty dishes. Completely ignoring Heinrich and Hoenheim, he deposited the dishes into the sink. Heinrich let Ed pull away from him and smirked smugly at Hoenheim.

If looks could kill, Heinrich would be dead.

Ling snapped his fingers disappointedly, muttering a "rats" under his breath. Ran Fan rolled her eyes. Fu mumbled something that sounded oddly like "typical" under his breath. Mei patted Al's hand comfortingly.

"Dad, where's everyone going to sleep?" Ed asked, looking over his shoulder at said man. Hoenheim jolted out of his fuming state.

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that," he admitted.

"Wendy and Edward need their room to themselves," Heinrich interjected. Hoenheim nodded in agreement.

"I suppose Heinrich and I could move out of our rooms and camp out in the living room. . . ." Hoenheim trailed off, looking at Mei to see if she'd like that. Mei smiled benignly at him.

"Whatever you all decide is fine," she said.

"How many rooms are there?" Fu questioned.

"Just four," Al said. "There's Ed's, Dad's, what used to be mine, and a guest's room. I guess Heinrich has my old one. . . ."

A silence carried over them, even the Yao family members aware of the tension between Heinrich and Al.

"Al and Mei can stay in Heinrich's room. Ran Fan, Ling, and Mr. Yao can camp in Dad's room. . . . Heinrich can be in my room for a night if he wants. . . ." Ed said, not looking at the others as he suggested this.

Heinrich's eyebrows flew up in surprise. Hoenheim's glasses slipped off, and he turned around in his seat.

"That's okay with you?" Heinrich asked, disbelieving.

Ed nodded, still not turning around. His shoulders started trembling again. Hoenheim sighed through his nose.

"All right, fine. But just this once." He turned to glare at Heinrich. "And no funny business from you, or I'm kicking you out."

Heinrich held up his hands in surrender.

As Ling, Ran Fan, and Fu were shown to Hoenheim's room, the Yao family couldn't help but wonder what was with the strangely morose air around the famous Fullmetal Alchemist. Ling had a feeling it had something to do with the reason Al met Mei in the first place. . . .

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich closed the bedroom door and looked over at Ed. The alchemist already slipped off his shirt and tossed it over the desk chair. He collapsed onto the bed, his pants riding low on his hips. Heinrich let his eyes scan Ed's well-toned abs, the sign of physical fitness Heinrich could only dream of possessing. Ed draped his flesh arm over his eyes. Tiny sobs escaped his mouth.

"Ed?"

"I – I just didn't want to be alone. Not with – not with him across the hall – with her."

Heinrich nodded. He understood that. He understood what it was like to be pushed aside for a girl. It happened too often back in Germany.

The engineer unbuttoned his shirt and threw it into the corner. He lay next to Ed and pulled his arm off his face. Ed looked at him, his eyes betraying the fragile composure he had been trying to keep up all afternoon.

"I'm sorry he hurt you," Heinrich whispered, stroking Ed's bangs. Ed closed his eyes and tilted his head into Heinrich's caresses. "May – may I help make it hurt less?"

"How will you do that?" Ed breathed, so quietly Heinrich almost didn't hear it.

Heinrich rolled so that he hovered over Ed. He tilted Ed's head towards him, and Ed opened his eyes. Heinrich gazed into those golden, beautiful eyes and saw the pain and sorrow they held. His heart ached for him.

He kissed Ed softly, fingers ghosting over Ed's cheek. Ed kissed him back just as softly. Heinrich's hand slowly traveled to Ed's mandible, then to his collar bone. Heinrich darted his tongue out to taste Ed's lips. The alchemist let out a soft moan as he opened his mouth, almost too submissively, and gave Heinrich entrance.

Heinrich felt the impressive muscles of Ed's chest, wondering how he never noticed how well-built the younger man was. He supposed it made sense, since Ed was in the military, but he never imagined it would feel like this.

He liked it. Ed wasn't like anyone else he had ever met, even if he did look a little like his older brother. So it made sense that he'd be different in every way, not just personality-wise.

Ed gasped for breath, so quietly it was worrisome. Despite the strong, well-built body beneath him, Heinrich worried he'd accidentally break him like a china doll. It was almost like Ed was antique armor: had seen so many battles and was tough as steel, but fragile enough to be kept from careless museum-goers. Heinrich kissed Ed's neck, careful not to leave a mark; that would be hard to explain to Hoenheim. His hand trailed down to Ed's abs, Ed gasping as Heinrich discovered he was sensitive there. The engineer felt the rough scar on Ed's side and how Ed shuddered as he traced it with his thumb.

He wondered if Ed thought his hands were too rough, with their calluses and blisters from working with the airplane and tools. Suddenly, he felt his hands weren't good enough to touch this beautiful creature.

He waited for Ed to tell him no before letting his hand go lower, his palm scraping against Ed's belt buckle and brushing Ed's crotch.

Ed stiffened against him, and he halted. He pulled his mouth up to Ed's ear and whispered, "I'll stop whenever you want me to. I won't do anything you don't want. But you'll need to tell me."

Ed's response was relaxing into Heinrich's touch and locking lips with him again, still gently, still softly.

This wasn't out of sexual need. It was more of an emotional journey that Ed had been afraid to take before and needed Heinrich to guide him. He let Heinrich touch him there, let Heinrich kiss him, and let Heinrich press their chests together. Their breaths mingled, and it seemed like their heartbeats became one.

Ed needed this. He was also pretty sure he wanted this, too. Not just moving on, but Heinrich too.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Mei blinked awake, thinking Ming was crying. She looked down at the tiny bundle of joy lying between her and Al. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and took a better look. Ming lay there, perfectly asleep, her pretty black hair matted on her forehead. Slowly, Mei glanced up at Al.

Al covered his mouth and nose with his hand, but it did nothing to suppress the sobs. He sat upright in bed, back pressed against the headboard. Two waterfalls of tears poured down Al's cheeks. He squeezed his eyes as tightly as he could, but it didn't stop the tears. His shoulders shook violently, and his whole body trembled with the emotion he tried to bottle up.

Mei sat up and touched his shoulder.

Al jumped, eyes snapping open wildly and gasping in mid-sob. He looked at her, and she smiled sadly at him.

"You still love him very much," Mei stated.

Al nodded, his lips pressing together fruitlessly, trying to reign in another sob. She stroked his bangs, but he pulled his head away. He swallowed hard.

"He tried so hard to keep himself together today. . . . Who does Heinrich think he is, anyway? Saying things like that, holding him like that, in front of everyone. . . ." _He's mine, mine, mine. No, no, no. Yes, yes, ye – NO! _"I don't like him."

Mei nodded understandingly. "I don't think the rest of us did either, your father included."

Al nodded, feeling a little better. But the thought of Heinrich being with Ed, in Ed's room, the same way he had always been in there with him. . . . His blood boiled, and he felt the outrageous urge to cross the hall and transmute him into something . . . not attractive.

_Can I kiss you, Brother? Uh, sure. You mean like Mom does before we go to bed? Not really. . . . More like this. Ed's eight-year-old eyes widened as his little brother pressed his lips against his. Al quickly pulled back. Was that okay? Ed nodded, unable to find words. Al smiled. Good. Ed cocked his head to the side, confused. Had Al been older, the sight of Ed in that dress with his head to the side like that would've induced a nosebleed. _

Al gripped the sheets tightly in his fists. "I'm sorry, Mei. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay."

Al shook his head, knowing how ungrateful and selfish he was being. He had a kind, understanding, and beautiful life. His brother was moving on, even if it was with a jerk even Hoenheim didn't approve of. He should be happy. He should be. More tears rolled down his cheeks as he restrained himself from following through with the thoughts of strangling Alfons Heinrich.


	11. Chapter 11

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

"_Mom?" Al asked timidly. Trisha looked up from her book. Al hid behind the door, frightened of how she'd react. _

"_Is something the matter, Alphonse?" Trisha asked, concern shining in her eyes – his eyes. Everyone always said he looked just like his mother. _

"_I – I was wondering about something. . . ." _

_Trisha patted the spot of mattress next to her. "Come here, Al." Al hesitated, then shook his head. Trisha frowned. "Alphonse?" _

"_Is it okay for me to like Brother?" _

_Trisha tilted her head to the side, confusion evident in her eyes. Al wondered why no one seemed to see Ed in his mother. He did. That's how he knew where Ed got his beauty from. Even as a child, Al recognized how unique his older brother was. But from what Winry said. . . . _

"_What would make you ask that?" Trisha questioned. _

_Al lowered his gaze to the floor. _

"_W-Winry said it wasn't normal. . . . She said it was bad. . . ." _

_He's your brother, Al! How could you kiss him!? _

_Trisha raised an eyebrow. "Why would she say that? There's nothing wrong with liking your brother." I don't think you get it, Mom. "It's perfectly normal to like your family." _

_Al tried to explain what he meant, but the words caught in his throat. He swallowed it. Maybe if they dissolved in his stomach, they'd disappear with his uneasiness. _

"_So it's okay if I like to hold his hand? Or hug him?" _

_Al, if you fall in love with Ed, you'll go to Hell! Y-You're just trying to scare me, Winry! No, Ed! God says so! Who says? The Book! Ed says it's a load of crap! _

_Winry had screamed at him and threw a pillow at him. Fine! Go to Hell! See if I care! Al had listened to Winry's sobs as he ran away from the Rockbell household, Mr. and Mrs. Rockbell and Pinako staring after him, wondering what happened. _

"_Of course it is, Al. Who said it wasn't?" Trisha responded. _

"_N-nobody." No sense in getting Winry into trouble. _

_  
Trisha patted the mattress again. This time Al crawled onto the bed and curled up next to her. _

"_I'm allowed to kiss him, too, right?" _

_Trisha nodded, holding him against her. "Sure. Personally, I think it's sweet when you kiss Ed on the cheek." _

_Al furrowed his eyebrows, noticing the specifics. He lowered his head, not wanting his mother to see through him. _

"_So . . . it's okay if I love him?" _

_Trisha set her book down and cupped his cheek. "Al, what is this all about? Who made you feel this insecure about it?" _

_Al shook his head. He didn't want to upset her. He didn't want her to know how he upset Winry. He didn't want her to know he was going to Hell. He wished he was capable of being the angel she thought he was. _

_He wished he could be the knight in shining armor in Ed's fairytale. More than anything. _

"_Alphonse?" Trisha said. "I can't help if you don't tell me." _

_Tears pricked Al's eyes and a sob escaped his lips. _

"_I don't want to burn in Hell, Mommy! But I want to love Ed, too!" _

_Trisha hugged him close, running her fingers through his hair. She hushed him and pressed her chin on his head. _

"_You're not going to Hell, Alphonse. There's nothing wrong with loving your brother." You don't understand, Mom. "Everything's going to be fine." _

_~!#$%^&*()_+_

"_Ed, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Al asked, glancing over at Ed over the mound of alchemy books. _

_Ed barely glanced in his direction; he merely turned a page in his book. _

"_Ah, an alchemist I guess. Either that or an author. It'd be fun to write books instead of just reading them." Ed muttered, not paying much attention to anything outside of the world the book opened to him. _

_Al watched as Ed's eyes scanned the page, his bangs curtaining his face. He imagined running his hand through Ed's hair like he saw the carpenter do with his wife as he leaned in to steal a kiss. He wished he could do that, in public, without worrying anyone would care and say he'd go to Hell, like Winry. _

_Winry still wasn't talking to him. _

"_I think I want to be a knight." _

_That made Ed look up. Ed stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. _

"_What do you want to be a knight for? Running around, working your ass off, and for what? So a princess can give you a kiss? No thanks. Girls have cooties." _

"_Does Winry have cooties?" _

"_She doesn't count. What kind of girl likes machinery?" Ed snickered at his joke. Al frowned. _

"_Do knights have to save princesses? Why not princes?" _

_Ed stared blankly at him. "What do you mean?" _

_Al furrowed his eyebrows. "You know, a prince? A boy princess? Royalty that's not female?" _

_Ed narrowed his eyes. "I know that, Al. But why would you want to save a snot-nosed prince?" _

_Al sighed and hugged his elbows. "Not all princes are actual princes, Brother." _

"_Now you've lost me." _

_The younger brother rolled his eyes. "Sometimes a person is a prince no matter what his lineage is. I read in a book that every girl is a princess. So why can't every boy be a prince?" _

_Ed just stared at him uncomprehendingly. _

"_I – I just want to be able to save and protect someone I care about . . . is all. . . ." Al trailed off, his cheeks flaming. Ed tilted his head to the side, looking adorable and just like Trisha. Why was it that only Al ever saw this side of his brother? Al took a deep breath. "I want to be your knight, Brother. . . . Is that too much to understand?" _

_Ed furrowed his eyebrows and closed his eyes, shutting his book with a thud. Al shrunk back, afraid of what Ed was about to say. Ed opened his eyes again, his mask an annoyed expression. _

"_Al, you can't be my knight." Al's shoulders slumped. _

"_That's what Winry said." Al said dejectedly. "She said I can't because you're my brother." _

_Ed smiled kindly. "That's not why, Al." Al looked up, surprised. _

"_It's not?" _

_Ed nodded. "You can't be my knight because I'm yours." Al's eyes widened. "It's my job to protect you. Understand?" Al smiled and nodded. _

"_Yeah." As long as I get you in the end, Brother. _

~!#$%^&*()_+

The kitchen bustled as Ed and Wendy fought over who'd cook and do the chores. Heinrich tried to get them both to relax and let him and Hoenehim do it all, but they snapped at him. Edward held little David Heinrich and sat next to Mei, enjoying the happy looks the babies gave each other. Mei asked Edward questions, which he answered truthfully, to Mei's polite confusion.

"What's Germany?"

Ling seemed determined to make Ed sue him for sexual harassment. Ling almost managed to smack Ed's behind as he walked past, but Hoenheim grabbed his wrist, the grip threatening to break it. Hoenheim's glare chilled Ling to the bone, and it prevented any advances while the oldest man there was in the room. Heinrich twirled around kitchen weaponry whenever Ling said something flirtatious, and when neither Heinrich nor Hoenheim proved dampening enough, Fu smacked Ling in the back of the head and yelled at him.

Apparently Ling was known as a notorious flirt back in Xing.

Ran Fan stood as stoic as ever, and Al was draped in his chair as though he was a morose coat that hadn't gotten enough sleep. The memories of his greed plagued his nightmares and his waking hours, and anger pulsed through his veins uselessly every time he so much as glanced in Heinrich's direction. The youngest Elric male kept himself restrained, however. He knew he had no right to object to Heinrich. Knowing that didn't make it hurt any less.

Ed cursed suddenly and grabbed his red coat.

"Now I remember!" He stuffed his arms in the sleeves and made a mad dash to the front door.

Al looked momentarily, confused.

"Where are you going?" Al asked.

"To work. I couldn't take the day off because of the office inspection. Mustang's going to kill me!" Ed said hurriedly, throwing the door open and Hoenheim closing it behind him. Hoenheim sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"What am I going to do with that boy. . . ." Hoenheim muttered. "Looks like you won this time, Wendy." David chose that moment to let out a hungry cry. Hoenheim chuckled. "Or not. Looks like you're finishing the cooking, Heinrich."

Heinrich rolled his eyes as he manned the stove. "How come you never cook?" he asked.

Hoenheim sat next to Al and leaned back in his chair, the front to legs leaving the floor. "Ed's forbidden me from the stove since I almost poisoned him, Al and me with what I tried to pass off as dinner."

Al shuddered at the memory. "That was horrible," Al agreed. "One wonders how you stayed away from home for so long."

Hoenheim sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "You know why, Al." The memories of how they defeated the homunculi and regained Al's body flashed in his head. "You know why."

Al looked up at the ceiling too, seeing the same pictures as his father. Neither of them had been especially proud of that day.

"_Hoenheim, Hoenheim, Hoenheim. Wouldn't you rather have your beautiful wife back instead?" persuaded Envy, grinning in a seductively manic way. Hoenheim halted his clap, hands only a few inches away from each other. He stared at Envy, wide-eyed, not daring to believe that Envy had any credibility. "Come on, Hoenheim. A giant transmutation circle that's capable of bringing Al his body and Ed his missing limbs. It's even capable of creating more homunculi. Why wouldn't it be able to bring poor Trisha back? Why wouldn't it be able to bring back the life that you let waste away into dust?" _

"_Dad! Don't listen to him!" Al begged, the expanse of the room and his armor making his voice echo a thousand times as much. Repetitions of "Don't listen to him! Don't listen to him!" resonated through Hoenheim's ears, but it was like Hoenheim didn't have a brain to process it. Trisha. . . . _

"_Think about it. Your children are just snot-nosed brats who just can't see that there are more important things. Like Trisha. . . ." _

"_ENVY! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Ed screamed. "HOENHEIM, IF YOU DO ANYTHING TO KEEP US FROM GETTING AL'S BODY BACK, YOU'LL GET TO SEE MOM REALLY SOON!" _

_Hoenheim dropped his arms and straightened up. "W-what would I have to - ?" _

"_GOD DAMN IT!" _

_Ed's words crashed into Hoenheim's skull like a wrecking ball. He stumbled back, away from Envy and his deceptive words, horrified at what he had really been willing to do. He knew better. He KNEW better. No one can bring back the dead. It just wasn't possible. _

_Before he could register what was happening, Envy screamed in agony, and light obscured everything. He couldn't see. All he could do was hear Envy's cries and Al's shouts of "BROTHER!" _

_It felt like an eternity, but in actuality, the light only lasted a few seconds. It died down, and the reality of his weakness set in as he turned his head from the pile of envious dust to look at Al – the young man Al was supposed to look like – standing in the middle of the transmutation circle, the vintage armor lying lifelessly at his feet. _

_He could see Al's ribs, the boy was so thin. Every joint, every absence of bone, even the movement of Al's lungs he could see. His matted blond hair hung in front of his face, a tangled, wild mess. He couldn't see the eyes he knew looked just like Trisha's, but he could see the tears running down those sunken cheeks. _

"_B-brother, you were supposed to get your flesh limbs back," Al sobbed uselessly, falling to his knees his legs were so weak. Ed looked down at the shredded state of his clothes, a deep gash in his side. Hoenheim's eyes widened. Blood gushed out of the wound, Ed doing nothing to stop it. His eldest didn't seem to even notice. He smiled proudly at Al, his eyes soft and kind . . . like Trisha had always looked at Hoenheim. _

"_It's okay, Al. You're all – that's . . . ." Ed's eyelids drooped, and the blood loss caught up with him. He fell to the ground, consciousness completely lost as he hit the ground. _

_Hoenheim could only sit there on his knees and stare, overcome with the decision he had almost made. He had been willing to sacrifice both his children to fail at what they had tried so long ago, but on a larger scale. . . . _

_Al tried to crawl towards his older brother, but his body was so fragile and weak he could hardly move an inch. _

_The doors burst open, and Mustang and his unit rushed in, eyes wide and worried at the bloody sight before them. _

"_ED!" Mustang shouted, running over to him. He turned the Fullmetal Alchemist over and, assessing the wound, snapped his fingers. Ed groaned slightly in pain, showing just how much blood he lost. _

"_Hawkeye! Get the medics in here now!" Mustang ordered. "Havoc, give me your canteen!" Mustang drew an alchemy circle on the canteen and transmuted the water inside into blood. He turned a needle in Fuery's boot into an IV needle and a bag Breda had into an IV bag. He transferred the blood into the bag and stuck the IV in Ed's artery. Soon after, Hawkeye brought the medics with her, and Ed was carried off in the ambulance. _

_Falman gave Al some blankets to cover himself with and helped him up. Maria Ross, Brosh, and Armstrong pulled Hoenheim onto his feet. _

"_Are you all right?" Armstrong asked. _

_Hoenheim let his tears fall and the sobs pour out. He shook his head and cried, too ashamed of himself to even explain what had happened. _

_All Al could tell the colonel was "Brother was supposed to be fixed. He was supposed to stand there. Not me. He – he wasn't supposed to get hurt. He wasn't - !" Al broke down into sobs, his newly regained body shaking violently with the effort. _

Hoenheim and Al sighed at the same time.

"To think I went through all that trouble, leaving you two with your mother, traveling the world to learn everything I could, all to try to stop them . . . and I almost sold you two out." Hoenheim whispered, not caring that the others heard.

The Yaos and the Heinrichs stared at Hoenheim, not comprehending at all.

Al nodded. "Ed never did trust you, did he?"

"He was right. Wasn't he?"

Al shrugged. "I guess. But you didn't."

Hoenheim snorted. "Because he wouldn't let me." He glanced at Al, smiling. "He really did turn out to be quite the knight, didn't he?"

Al gasped and looked at Hoenheim, wondering if the father knew exactly what that meant to him.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed sneezed, his flesh hand immediately covering his mouth. Mustang crossed his arms.

"You're late, Fullmetal."

Ed frowned and stuck his hands into his pockets. "I know, I know. Sorry." Mustang's eyebrows flew up. Ed never apologized. . . .

"Everything okay at home?" Havoc asked, poking his head into the office.

Ed forced a smile on. "Yeah, never better." Ed looked at Mustang. "So, what's my duty for today?"

Mustang grunted and plopped a file in front of him. "Just do the paperwork that's in this file and pretend you've been here this entire time. The Furer hasn't come by yet, thank God. . . ."

Ed took the file and went to his desk. He sat down and immediately went to work, not wanting his thoughts to wander to the family back at home. . . .

He had to admit. . . . Ming was an adorable little girl.


	12. Chapter 12

Red Roses2: . . . It created itself. . . . .

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Fuhrer Olivia Armstrong stood in front of Mustang's desk. Mustang saluted her, his back as stiff as possible. He forced his mouth to stay a straight, thin line. The urge to frown at their current positions tore at him from the bottom of his stomach. Why did _she_ have to become the Fuhrer instead of him? He put as much risk into helping save Amestris from the homunculi as she did. He'd argue that he put himself and his team at _more_ risk.

"Colonel Mustang." Fuhrer Armstrong said.

"Fuhrer." Mustang responded. Fuhrer Armstrong smirked.

"You're still annoyed that I got the promotion after all these years." Mustang relented to his frown. Fuhrer Armstrong's smirk widened. "And that I've made sure you stayed a colonel this entire time." Mustang's hand began to tremble. Fuhrer Armstrong let out a bark of cruel laughter. "You're still the green bastard you always were."

She walked around his desk, grabbed a handle, and ripped his desk drawers, one by one, out of his desk. Papers flew everywhere. Pens cascaded to the floor. Fuhrer Armstrong snatched a bunched-up article of clothing and snapped it, revealing it to be a pair of women's panties.

Hawkeye audibly smacked her forehead. Mustang blushed heavily. Fuhrer Armstrong tossed it into the trash. She then went to Havoc's desk and did the same thing, ripping his drawers out and locating any embarrassing secrets. Havoc breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't have any women's panties. However, Fuhrer Armstrong bent down and picked up a large, folded up list. She let it unfold until it touched the floor. She glanced at the top of the paper.

"Pray tell, what is 'Mission Investigay', Lieutenant Havoc?"

Havoc blanched. "Uh. . . . Nothing important. Just something I do in . . . my free . . . time. . . with a couple of . . . co-workers. . . . ."

Fuhrer Armstrong raised an eyebrow at him. Havoc hated the blush that set into his cheeks.

Surprisingly, she set it almost respectfully back onto Havoc's desk, obscuring his cigarettes. Havoc stared doe-eyed after her as she marched to Hawkeye's desk and proceeded with her destructive inspection all over again. Havoc tucked his list back into its proper folds, careful to hide Ed's name from view.

After Fuhrer Armstrong failed to find anything incriminating in Hawkeye's, Falman's, and Fuery's desk, she succeeded in embarrassing Breda by retrieving a women's swimsuit magazine. Breda turned a spectacular shade of scarlet as the intimidating woman held it up by the corner for all to see and then tossed it into the trash. Finally, she came to Ed's desk.

Ed stood as tall as his short stature would allow and saluted the Fuhrer. He'd never tell Mustang, but he had given one of the many recommendations for Olivia Armstrong's promotion. When King Bradley and everyone helping him was destroyed, the country had been scrambling for a leader. Every soldier in Briggs and Ed had given recommendations for the now Fuhrer Armstrong. Ed had wondered why Major Armstrong hadn't encouraged his older sister's promotion; maybe he knew how she'd inspect offices. . . .

"Major Elric."

Surprised, Ed quickly replied, "Fuhrer Armstrong," and wondered why he got the address that only the head of the unit required.

"I hope you don't mind," she began, Ed's confusion growing; since when does she _care_ if people mind? "but General Miles and I looked into your brother's abrupt departure from the country."

Ed's eyes widened, but not a word escaped from his mouth.

"We found it peculiar that he'd up and leave town without you on such short notice. So General Miles followed him discreetly. He attended Alphonse's wedding and kept watch over the residence he was staying at while in Xing."

Ed lowered his hand from the salute, wondering just how much the boss of his boss's boss knew about Al before he did.

Fuhrer Armstrong pulled up a chair, sat down, and crossed her legs. Ed took the hint and let himself collapse into his own chair. Her eyes softened, that in of itself a sign of the Apocalypse.

"The family that Alphonse married into has connections to the Xingese royalty. The country of Xing has recently been attempting to bargain an alliance with Amestris, and the Yao family was actually quite entrenched in the negotiations. However, they have been abruptly ripped from negotiations and the emperor won't mention them in any way. If we ask where the Yao family is, he acts as though there never was one. Through further investigation, we learned that Ran Fan Yao and Ling Yao's connection to the royal family was their mother, the emperor's late wife. Soon after her death, they came with your brother and his wife to Amestris. The cause for their mother's death is unclear. . . . Do you understand?"

Ed nodded. "Yes, Fuhrer."

She smirked. "Good. Your mission is to investigate the death of Jei Meng and to judge the decision of allying Amestris with Xing. I'll give you a week to get ready. You're to take only one person with you, preferably someone who knows how to maneuver around Xing."

"Fuhrer, if I may . . . ."

"Yes?"

"Do you know when Al met his wife?"

Fuhrer Armstrong gave him a peculiar look. "Isn't that something you should ask him?"

Ed bowed his head. "My apologies, Fuhrer, but I'm too cowardly to. . . ."

She sighed. "Green as ever, Fullmetal. But I suppose if I were a liver-bellied maggot like you and hadn't been invited to my brother's wedding, I'd be nervous of pissing someone off, too."

. . . Had their leader been replaced by a shape-shifter who couldn't act?

"Alphonse met Mei Yao two days after arriving in Xing. Three months later, it was clear that Mei wasn't going to miscarriage and Al called your father to tell him. They were married a week later."

"Oh." Ed's shoulders shook. "Thank you, Fuhrer."

Fuhrer Armstrong stood up and proceeded to leave the office. She halted at the door and looked over her shoulder at Ed.

"General Miles is still in Xing. If you need his assistance, contact him at the Cheng-Il Inn." With that, she left to torment other officers.

Ed ignored the curious and sympathetic looks from his co-workers as he got his bag together. Might as well head back home and tell them the news. . . .

~!#$%^&*()_+

Everyone minus the babies in the household stared at Ed, registering what it was he was telling them.

Fu was the first to say something. "So your Fuhrer suspects my first wife was murdered to prevent my family's meddling in political affairs."

Ed nodded, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "I need someone to go with me. Someone who knows the area well."

Mei and Al frowned. Both then looked at Ran Fan and Ling.

"I'm not leaving Mei," Ran Fan said, gracefully sitting herself next to her little sister. Ling grinned.

"Guess you're stuck with me!" Ling announced. He linked his fingers together and put his hands behind his head. "Don't worry; I know the streets backwards and forwards, inside out. And all that flirting I'm so good at comes in handy when it comes to favors."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Great. I'm stuck with the Xingese version of Colonel Mustang. 'Cept no alchemy."

Ling unsheathed a blade out of no where and slammed it into the table. He grinned mischievously.

"Trust me. I'm better than some Flame Alchemist who can't manage to get a decent promotion after all these years. How long has he been a colonel?"

Ed smirked. "Since I was ten." Ling laughed. Ed's smirk widened. Maybe he _would_ like this guy. . . .

Heinrich frowned. Ed noticed and his smirk slipped off.

"When will you be back?" Heinrich asked.

Ed shrugged. "I don't know. This might take a month, two months. . . a year. . . ." Heinrich's frown deepened. Ed smiled reassuringly. "But General Miles is going to help, so it shouldn't take too long! Miles was a huge help to me a while back, and he's one of the best soldiers in the whole army."

Heinrich forced a smile. "Okay then. Maybe the airplane will be done when you come back!"

"You be careful, okay?" Al said, worry evident in his face. Ed's eyes softened.

"I'll be fine. So, Ling, what do you suggest we take?"

Ling stretched his arm out. "Well, we're going to need cash. And a lot of it. Fake IDs and disguises would be good, too. Hardly anyone will recognize you, but I'm definitely going to need one."

Ed nodded.

The rest of the family (in other words: Edward, Wendy, Hoenheim and Fu) shared looks and sighed. Living was becoming exhausting.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ming cried out happily as she was lifted up off her cushion on the couch and held close to the well-toned chest, feeling safe in strong, if cold, arms. She gurgled and giggled and brought a smile to his face as he rocked her gently and twirled her around the living room. The clock read 11:00, and the darkness pouring in from the window proved it was too late to still be active. But there they were, a little baby and a young man, letting the rest of the house sleep and enjoying each other's company.

"You're a beautiful girl, Ming Elric. Yes, you are." A grin, a patronizing but happy voice. He tickled her tummy, and she let out a happy cry. "Shhh. We wouldn't want to wake anyone, now would we?"

She smiled at him, adoring the man who held her.

You'd think he was her father.

He sat down onto the couch and kissed her forehead. She giggled happily. Tears weld in his eyes, but he smiled and rocked her.

"As much as it hurts, I'm glad he had you," Ed whispered, pressing another kiss on her forehead. He wrinkled his nose and chuckled quietly. "Smells like someone needs a diaper change."

She gurgled, as though it was her plot all along to make him change her diaper. He chuckled, glad he already knew how. Helping Gracia Hughes take care of Elysia when she was still in diapers had been some of the most fun Ed had ever had.

It sometimes hurt to know he'd never have children of his own.

Ed threw the diaper away and transmuted a clean cloth into a diaper. "I bet when you're fifteen, you're going to be a hottie just like your daddy, making all the boys go crazy over you. And you'll not notice because you'll have more important things to think about, kind of like me, and you'll be happy and have a family just like your mommy. Heh, maybe you'll get that cat Al's been wanting since the age of three. And Uncle Ling, Aunt Ran Fan, and Grandpa Fu will beat up all the perverts you won't notice and Grandpa Hoenheim will try to teach you alchemy when Daddy and Uncle Ed are too busy, but I won't let him because he has too many bad habits. You'll play with David, and maybe Heinrich will get to be your uncle, too. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Ed picked her back up and held her close, smiling down at her, ignoring the tears rolling down his face.

"That'd be fun, right, Ming?"

The sound of glasses hitting the floor made Ed jump. He turned around, cheeks turning crimson and eyes wide in surprise.

Hoenheim stood in the living room archway, jaw slightly dropped, awe-struck.

The blush took over Ed's face.

"Edward. . . ." Hoenheim said, using Ed's proper first name for the first time since Edward Heinrich came to live with them.

The tears kept rolling down Ed's cheeks, each tear fatter than the next.

"She's – she's just so beautiful but – but it hurts to know – to know Al - !" Ed tried to bite back the sobs, but they forced themselves out. "She's just an innocent little baby and she makes it feel better and worse at the same time, and I can't bring myself to hate Mei or her, but I'm tired of hating myself for making him _leave_!" He tried to be quiet, but he couldn't quite manage it. He could only hope no one else woke up.

Ming looked up at her uncle, her innocent eyes gazing curiously up at him.

Hoenheim crossed the room and pulled both of them into his arms, pressing Ed's cheek to his chest. He ran a hand through Ed's hair, the blond strands not in a braid or ponytail for once.

"Ed, you didn't make him leave." Hoenheim insisted, a frown etched onto his face as if in stone. Anger boiled in his veins, and the hideous urge to strangle his youngest son shot through his very soul. "The only one who made Al leave was himself. You're not to blame, Ed." Ed sobbed violently into Hoenheim's shirt. He buried his face into Hoenheim's chest to smother the sound.

Ming kept unusually quiet and pulled at a button on Hoenheim's shirt. Hoenheim looked down at the bundle of cuteness to see a worried expression on the baby's face. Hoenheim smiled and patted Ed on the back.

"It's okay, Ed." Hoenheim pulled back and held his arms out. "I'll take the baby and you get some rest. All right?"

Ed nodded and handed Ming to Hoenheim. "If you drop her, I'll kill you," Ed muttered, not looking the least intimidating. Hoenheim chuckled.

"Don't worry. She'll be perfectly safe."

Ed mumbled a "'night" and went up the stairs, doing his best to muffle his automail steps.

Hoenheim rocked Ming back and forth, his smile oddly cold. "You understand more than you let on, don't you? That's a good quality for an alchemist, yes it is. You understand Daddy did something bad to Uncle Ed, don't you?"

Ming pulled some more at Hoenheim's shirt.

"You're going to grow up and love your uncle very much, won't you, Ming? You can help me scare the bad suitors away."

Ming gurgled happily again. Hoenheim smiled ecstatically.

"That's my good granddaughter."

Slowly, the urge to strangle Al to death ebbed away as he rocked and talked to Al's precious little girl. . . . And as the urge disappeared, a new thought entered Hoenheim's head. . . . Had Al ever held Ming like this before? Hoenheim remembered holding both his children when they were babies. In truth, he spent more time with Ed than with Al, but he held them both and had a lot of fun playing with them.

He had been the first to call Ed a knight, and Trisha had agreed with him that the pet name was perfect.


	13. Chapter 13

Red Roses2: Heh, I might have given Ed a few extra inches, but he's still shorter than me and everyone else except Mei. Ha!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Ed gasped as he felt Heinrich's arms circle his waist. Heinrich rested his chin on Ed's right shoulder. Ed quietly shut the bedroom door. Neither said anything. Heinrich kissed Ed's cheek gently, wiping the tear stain away with his lips. His breath tickled Ed's neck, the alchemist shuddering at the sensation. Ed placed his flesh hand over Heinrich's hands, subconsciously avoiding his automail hand touching Heinrich's flesh.

Not a word passed between them as Heinrich turned Ed around and pulled him to the bed. The engineer cupped Ed's cheeks, rubbing the tear stains away with his thumbs. Heinrich pressed his lips against Ed's, moving a hand slowly into Ed's hair. Ed's eye lids fluttered shut, and he brought his arms up to circle Heinrich's neck. Heinrich wondered whether he should smile or frown at the submissive gesture.

He separated their lips long enough to whisper. "I thought the older brother would be on top."

Ed blushed, eyes still closed. He pressed his cheek against Heinrich's chest; Heinrich stood at a proud 5'6'', a little shorter than Hoenheim, while Ed had hit 5'2'' a couple years ago.

Heinrich kissed his lips once more. "I'm fine with topping, but . . . you know how to, right?" He felt Ed stiffen. "I just want to know. . . . You remember I said we won't do anything you don't want to, right?" He smiled softly as Ed relaxed again. How was it even possible that he could read Ed so well? He had only known him a few months, and already it felt like he knew him all his life.

For the first time, Ed initiated a gentle kiss, tracing Heinrich's lower lip with the tip of his tongue. Heinrich moaned quietly. Ed's breathe as he whispered almost distracted Heinrich from the somewhat worrying response.

"No. I – I've always been . . . 'bottom' as you put it. I – I mean, I've sort of topped once or twice, but I've never - ." Heinrich could feel the heat radiating from Ed's cheeks. "I th-think it's called cowgirl style, but I'm not sure. . . ."

Heinrich sighed and kissed Ed again, slipping his tongue into Ed's mouth. Ed groaned appreciatively, running his flesh hand through Heinrich's hair, grasping gently. Heinrich rubbed his index finger on Ed's back, tracing small circles in the shirt fabric. Ed gasped, instinctually bucking his hips forward in response, causing them to fall over, Heinrich landing on his back on the bed, Ed's legs successfully straddling his waist.

Heinrich gently pushed Ed away, just far enough to see Ed's face clearly. Ed's face flushed a beautiful fuchsia.

"I – I'm sorry." Ed breathed, casting his eyes to the left. "I didn't mean to do that."

Heinrich smiled understandingly.

"Did Al do that a lot?"

Fuchsia turned to brick red. Ed stuttered emphatically. Heinrich pressed a finger to Ed's lips, shushing him effectively.

"He knew exactly how to make you bend, didn't he?"

Ed furrowed his eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Heinrich sat up, causing Ed to slide down him until he sat in his lap, thighs hugging his sides. Heinrich cupped Ed's cheek and gently kissed his lower lip.

"Nothing. I just find it hard to believe someone like you would've naturally become the uke."

Ed's blush climbed up the dark scale, making his face the darkest red Heinrich had ever seen, apart from blood from internal bleeds. Heinrich's lips curled upward.

"You're adorable," Heinrich whispered, locking their lips again.

The engineer promised himself that he'd let Ed top when he was ready. He promised to start out with whatever Ed was comfortable with, and eventually they'd reach the teaching stage, and then they could figure out what was best for them.

Ed wondered why Heinrich seemed to think Al had taken advantage of him.

Heinrich wondered why Ed didn't realize that his brother wronged him, in more ways than one.

Heinrich wasn't sure when his hand trailed down to cup Ed's ass. He wasn't sure when heat started radiating from Ed's crotch. He wasn't sure when he switched their positions, Ed underneath.

All he knew was that it was probably a good thing Hoenheim opened the door at that moment.

CRASH, THUMP, TUMBLE, BAM, and Heinrich ended up with his back on the entrance hall floor and his neck aching.

Al, Mei, Wendy, Edward, Fu, Ran Fan, and Ling all poked their heads out of their rooms and asked in unison, "What happened?"

"DAAAAAAAAAAD!" Ed screamed once it was apparent no one was getting any sleep that night; David added his own cry to the mix.

Hoenheim, with Ming supported in one arm, closed Ed's bedroom door, took out his key, and locked everyone else out. Ed's automail foot clomped and the knob jiggled furiously.

"LET ME OUT!" Ed shouted.

Ming gurgled happily.

Heinrich laughed. Hoenheim glared at him, determining that the German man had a death wish.

"You're sleeping on the living room floor tonight," Hoenheim growled dangerously, handing Ming to Al. Al gingerly took his daughter, staring at his father as though he were crazy.

"DAD! OPEN THIS DOOR THIS INSTANT! _DAD_!"

~!#$%^&*()_+

Steam blew into the air, the train waiting patiently for all the passengers to board. Ed determinedly refused to even look at Hoenheim. Ling hugged Ran Fan and Mei, shook hands with Fu and Hoenheim, kissed Ming on the forehead, and completely ignored Al. Heinrich gave Ed a one-armed hug, Hoenheim glaring daggers at the engineer. Edward stared up at the train, looking like a kid in a candy store. Wendy shook her head at her husband's obsession and kissed Ed's cheek. David and Ming squealed in unison, as though saying "goodbye".

"See you guys later!" Ling said, hopping onto the train. Ed followed, hesitating on the second step. He looked over his shoulder. Al gulped and stood straighter. Ed smiled.

"Take care of everybody while I'm gone, Al." Ed said, then disappeared out of sight.

Al stared after his older brother, even as the train began to pull away. His eyes followed the train as it faded into the distance. Slowly, his lips formed a smile.

"You got it, Brother."

~!#$%^&*()_+

Fu wondered where this Alphonse Elric was when he met Mei in the first place. Apparently all it took to turn Al into a productive, ambitious young man was to get his brother to kick his ass into gear.

Barely two hours after Ed and Ling left, Al got himself a well-paying job and located several houses that he and Mei should look at due to location and price. He paid more attention to Ming and helped everyone with everything, it seemed. Al turned into the man Fu wanted his youngest to marry all along.

What Fu didn't understand at all was the sullen look Hoenheim had when he watched Al do these things.

Hoenheim stayed away from the house more often, walked longer walks, stared off into space more often. It was as though the more present Al was, the less present Hoenheim was.

Fu didn't think he'd ever understand the Amestrians.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Everyone's faces transformed into disgust as they choked on and coughed back up Ran Fan's attempt at cooking. Mei, Fu, and Al laughed nervously.

"Um, maybe you should let someone else do it next time," Al said meekly.

Ran Fan glared at him. "Heinrich can't cook anything worthy of _slugs_ without Wendy's or Ed's help. Edward burnt it last time, Father doesn't know how, Mei and Wendy are busy enough with the children, you won't let Hoenheim near the stove, and your cooking is equally horrendous."

Al bowed his head. "Good point."

Edward sighed and grumbled something under his breath. Wendy gasped and slapped her husband's arm. "Take that back!"

Edward grimaced and rubbed his arm. "That hurt."

"Take what you just said back!" She pulled her arm back for another smack, David making uncertain grumbling noises.

"Okay, okay, I'm _sorry_!"

Heinrich furrowed his eyebrows. "What's going on?"

Wendy laughed nervously. "Oh, nothing. You know your brother; he can be a bit of an ass sometimes." Edward cast his gaze to the side, glaring at the wall. Heinrich's gaze hardened. Hoenheim's eyebrows furrowed. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. Edward refused to look at him, but the others could see his body turning rigid.

Al cast confused glances at the others, but all Mei, Fu, and Ran Fan did was shrug. Fu courageously stuffed more food in his mouth and managed not to grimace. He swallowed it down quickly with a few gulps of water.

"Brother, if you're going to live here, you'll just have to get used to him. It is his house," Heinrich said ominously.

Edward crossed his arms. "I don't have a problem with Ed Elric."

"I beg to differ," Heinrich and Hoenheim said in unison, glaring at the other as they did so.

Edward's mouth formed a fine line, his cheeks puffed out as though words were trying to force their way out of his mouth. His eyebrows were furrowed in frustration, like he was trying to put all those words into a proper order with only his tongue to maneuver them around.

"He's a generous, kind young man," Edward said, lifting his gaze to look at Heinrich. "But he's a _boy_, Alfons! You _do_ remember what that means, right?"

Heinrich crossed his arms. "Why can't you be a _little_ bit supportive?"

Edward grabbed at his hair and let out a frustrated yell, unintentionally reminded Al of Ed. "How come you don't get it!?" Edward shouted. "How come you can't understand why I'm not comfortable with this? He looks _just like me_! Can't you understand how weird it is to watch your _little brother_ make out with a girly-looking clone of _yourself_? If he _was_ a girl, it'd be different, but - !" Edward stopped himself and took a deep breath to calm himself. "I don't have a problem with Ed as a person, Alfons. If you two were just friends, I'd be perfectly fine. But it's just so _weird_, never mind you're both going to Hell for it anyway."

Heinrich sighed and rubbed his temples.

Al started to laugh, which stopped Hoenheim from saying something rather nasty. Everyone stared at him.

"If Brother were here, he'd pitch a fit. Brother doesn't really believe in God, so he'd say you were just giving yourself an excuse for objecting to it." Al smiled at Edward. "He's not good at listening to others' religious beliefs, but I kind of agree with him on this part. No one's going to Hell just because a boy liked other boys." His smile turned into a sad one. "If anything, it'd depend on how you acted towards them." Al then directed his gaze at Heinrich. "You've been doing a good job at making Brother happy. Thanks."

Heinrich stared at Al, surprised and unable to say anything. Part of him said to hate him anyway, and another part of him said maybe this Alphonse wasn't as bad as he thought.

"You're welcome," Heinrich said curtly, still refusing to be completely civil towards him.

Anyone capable of making someone like Ed cry so much didn't deserve niceties.

It didn't matter that Al seemed like a somewhat decent guy.

~!#$%^&*()_+

That night, Mei tucked Ming into the cradle Al had transmuted and lay next to Al. She rested her head on Al's shoulder and smiled.

"That was a nice thing you did earlier," she said.

"Hm?" Al glanced at her curiously.

"What you said to Heinrich. It was nice."

Al sighed and stared at the ceiling.

"I don't have a right to disapprove of him, even if I don't like him."

Mei shrugged.

Al wasn't an idiot. He noticed how Ed blushed and smiled around Heinrich. It was a little strange how Heinrich looked so much like him, but that was okay.

Heinrich was just everything Al had failed to be.

He was the more-than-decent prince Ed had thought Al to be, the prince Ed needed.

Al just didn't like the conniving attitude he had around people he didn't like. Namely himself.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Months went by, and no one heard a word from Ling or Ed. Fall turned to winter, and winter into spring. Al and Mei found a house and would move into it at the start of summer. Edward was promoted from train fixer to train builder, and Hoenheim was his alchemic partner; they were each paid half of what an alchemist who specialized in engineering would be paid, but it didn't look like Edward and Wendy would be moving out any time soon. Though not approving of Heinrich's and Ed's relationship, Edward rejected the idea of leaving his little brother "by himself" in a strange dimension they didn't know much about. Hoenheim found he couldn't be angry with Edward. He was doing for Heinrich what he was doing for Ed: just trying to protect him.

Fu and Ran Fan would move in with Al and Mei when the time came, leaving the Heinrich-Elric family household the way it was before they arrived.

At least, that had been the plan.

The phone rang three times before Fu picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Is this the Elric residence?"

"Yes."

"This is General Miles. I was working with Edward Elric and Ling Yao in their investigation."

Fu's eyebrows shot up. "I'm Fu Yao, Ling's father."

"Ling is fine; he just has a few wounds we bandaged up already. I need to talk to Van Hoenheim."

Fu's eyebrows came together, almost forming a unibrow. "Ed is just as much family to me as to anyone else in this house. Anything you can tell Hoenheim, you can tell me. I'll pass it on."

The firm tone in General Miles's voice was unmistakable; he wasn't someone to be trifled with. "Put Hoenheim on the phone."

Fu sighed through his nose. "I can't. He's not home right now."

"What about his brother?"

"Still at work."

General Miles growled in frustration. "When will either of them be back?"

"Not for a few more hours."

Fu could hear General Miles's teeth grind.

"Is there anyone else who is particularly close to Ed?"

Fu shrugged, even though General Miles couldn't see it.

"There's his boyfriend. He's in the yard."

General Miles sighed heavily.

"Never mind. I'll bring him there. Thank you and good bye."

Click. Fu hung up the phone, staring at the phone suspiciously. What had that been about?


	14. Chapter 14

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Knock, knock, knock. Hoenheim stood up quickly, sticking his hands into his pockets, his face sullen. He opened the front door, and his eyes widened. The rain clouds rolled over the city in the distance, the small rumbles of thunder barely audible. Before the door stood an Ishbalan man he had never met and Ling, Ed curled up in the Ishbalan's arms like an infant. Ed's eyes were closed, his hair damp and matted to his forehead. His head leaned on the Ishbalan's chest, reminding Hoenheim so much of the days when he used to hold Ed like that, back when Ed didn't resent him.

The Ishbalan's left sunglass lens was missing, and the right one was cracked. Strands of his white hair had slipped out of its ponytail and hung around his ears. His Amestrain-styled clothes sported dust and blood and a bullet hole. Ling stood next to him, looking like a munchkin compared to the Ishbalan. His hair no longer confined to a ponytail, it hung shaggily around his ears and face, successfully covering the right side of his face entirely. The coat with the flames he had worn when he stepped onto the train was in tatters, blood splatters down the left front. His left arm hung in a sling, his wrist taut in a splint.

Ed's clothes were littered with holes and rips, but not a single bloodstain. As Hoenheim looked closer, he could've sworn the ends of Ed's strands of hair looked singed.

"Can we come in?" Ling asked, eyebrows furrowed tiredly and a frown firmly set on his face.

Hoenheim stepped out of the way and let them in, the Ishbalan almost hitting his head on the doorway arch. Ling made a bee-line for the love seat and plopped himself upon it, burying his face into the cushions. Hoenheim closed the door, and the Ishbalan followed Ling into the living room.

Mei, Ran Fan, and Fu quickly surrounded Ling. Ran Fan touched his forehead.

"Ling?" she asked, concerned. "How'd it go?"

Ling mumbled something into the cushion.

The Ishbalan proceeded to lay Ed on the couch, but the unconscious man gripped his shirt. The Ishbalan exhaled through his nose, then carefully sat on the couch, gently laying Ed in his lap. Hoenheim hovered over the back of the couch.

"You are . . . ?" he asked.

"General Miles," the Ishbalan grunted.

Al, Heinrich, Edward, and Wendy wandered into the living room. Al looked at Ling, then at Ed, and finally at General Miles.

"What happened?" Al asked hesitantly.

General Miles looked over his shoulder at Al, then his eyes landed on Heinrich, and confusion set in.

". . . . Which of you is Alphonse Elric?"

Heinrich pointed at Al. General Miles raised an eyebrow at Al, and Al shrugged his shoulders.

The thunder clapped, sounding like an elephant stomping on a drum.

Ed's eyes snapped open, and a scream ripped out of his throat.

"I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING!"

Miles gripped his shoulders. "This isn't Xing, Fullmetal."

Ed turned to look at him, as though not remembering who he was. Slowly, recognition dawned on him. He looked around the room, taking in his surroundings, his body rigid and his eyes fearful.

Miles pushed Ed's legs off of him, letting Ed sit on the sofa on his own. Ed breathed in and out at an abnormal rate, not quite hyperventilating. He covered his eyes with his flesh hand. His shoulders began to shake.

Miles took off his sunglasses and pocketed them. Ling lifted his face out of the cushion and rolled himself onto his back. He stared at the ceiling with a dead expression.

"That guy's dead." Ling stated.

Miles shook his head. "A war is not in Amestris's best interests right now. Of course, that's not my decision. It's up to Fuhrer Armstrong."

Ling tightened his fist.

"Screw your military. I'll do it myself."

Miles snorted. "You'd just get yourself killed."

Ling glared at him. All Ed did was shake his head, the only sign he was even paying attention.

"Ed?" Heinrich said softly, reaching out to touch his shoulder. Miles grabbed his wrist.

"That's not a good idea." Miles said. Heinrich gulped; those red eyes were freaking him out. Miles's gaze rested on Ed. "Will you tell them?"

Ed shook his head again. Miles sighed.

"All right. Everyone, sit down."

Even Ran Fan did what he said.

Miles propped his elbows on his thighs, linked his fingers together, and rested his chin on them.

"The mission started out simple enough. We managed to make it to the palace in one piece – apparently Ling has pissed off every father in the whole damn country – and the emperor and his children let us investigate. The emperor didn't want any misunderstandings about his late wife's death. Then, the maid found the emperor's dead body in his chambers."

Mei covered her mouth. Ran Fan's eyes widened, and Fu's hands balled into fists.

"It then turned into two murder investigations, and the son the emperor had chosen to lead in his place wasn't as lenient with us. He told us to go back to our own country and leave them for their own problems. That wasn't an option, so we just implemented sneakier approaches. . . ."

Ed pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them, resting his forehead on his knees. Miles pretended he didn't notice. Ling just kept staring at the ceiling as though it held the universe's secrets etched in it.

"Ed was caught looking through genealogy books in the royal library at about one in the morning. That was when any and all contact with him ceased. After two hours, Ling and I went in to get him. It took an hour to get past the guards, two more hours to fight our way through the halls, another two to figure out he wasn't anywhere you could see from outside the building, thirty minutes to get down to the dungeon, and another thirty to get to the room they were keeping him. At first, we thought the screaming was coming from the guards we had beat up farther up the hall. . . ."

"But the closer we got, the louder it was," Ling added. Everyone, minus Ed, looked at him. "We could barely make anything intelligible out, but a few feet from the door, we heard Ed yell 'I'm not telling you anything'. . . . They wanted to know something or other about the Fuhrer, I don't know. . . . Miles blasted the lock off the door with his gun and it swung open and . . . ." Ling closed his eyes and sat up. He pressed his palm to his forehead. "They were electrocuting him."

Al gasped. Hoenheim's eyes widened. Heinrich gritted his teeth.

Miles stared at a patch of carpet, remembering what had happened after that. _Before he knew it, the gun ran out of bullets, and every servant of the new emperor had a bullet embedding in the flesh of his brain. The room looked too much like the execution rooms that they used in the Ishbal war. Ed breathed heavily, painfully, and let out a cry, tears running down his cheeks. Ling hurried over to him and unshackled him, swinging his sword down to cut the chains. Ling touched Ed's shoulder, and they both yelled. Ling stumbled back, staring at his hand. Ed curled up into a tiny ball, shying away from Ling. Miles walked towards him and pulled him into his arms, ignoring the painful shudders. "We need to get out. Now." Ling nodded, and they ran, Ling dealing with any obstacles. They ran to the nearest train station, hitched a ride, and never stopped or looked back, their sole priority now to get back to Amestris. _

"Fullmetal will need to visit a hospital soon, but for now, let him rest here. Don't let him come in to work, or anything else for that matter. I'll return when it's okay to transfer him to a hospital." Miles stood up. "I need to give the Fuhrer a report. I'll call later to see how he's doing." Miles went to the front door and left.

Silence descended upon the house occupants. Heinrich gently touched Ed's shoulder, and the alchemist flinched. The engineer pulled his hand away and frowned. He sat next to Ed instead.

Al knew it was cruel of him to think so, but he had a sick satisfaction in Heinrich's inability to touch his brother.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Lightening flashed and thunder clapped, one right out of the other. Ed jumped, fear sparking in his eyes. He covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. It wasn't hurting him, it wasn't hurting him, just because it sounded like the machine didn't mean it was going to hurt him, he knew that, he really did. Lightening flashed, and thunder rumbled. Ed's body trembled. He squinted at the living room – he hadn't moved since he got there. Ling watched him, still draped over the love seat.

"Need anything?" Ling asked. "I can't sleep either."

Ed shook his head as his gaze landed on the pile of blankets on the floor next to the couch. He looked at it curiously.

"Heinrich agreed to stay down here with you. He fell asleep, though." Ling supplied, swinging his legs over the edge of the loveseat.

Ed smiled weakly.

"Sorry, Ling."

"For what?"

Ed turned his gaze onto the Xingese man. "I figured out a possible scenario for your mother's death. And the emperor's."

Ling raised an eyebrow. The lightening and thunder combo occurred again, and fear spasmed across Ed's face. Ling crossed the room and sat next to Ed. Without hesitation, he gripped Ed's hand and squeezed it. Ed jerked his head towards him. Ling stared at him, hard.

"What was it?" Ling said, voice firm.

Ed swallowed hard. "The new emperor – he was the only child from his father's first marriage. He'd benefit from your mother's death since, as long as she was alive, he had you and Ran Fan as competition for the crown. Also, the other children's reactions to their mothers' death proved to be deciding factors in who the emperor chose to be his successor."

Ling grunted. "The new one." Ed nodded.

"He'd benefit from his father's death because the emperor hadn't written it in ink yet. He might've changed his mind at the last minute, and knowing how flighty that guy seemed . . . ."

Ling gripped his knee. "He killed him before any changes were made, and he became emperor right away."

Ed nodded again.

Lightening flashed and thunder clapped. Ed sucked in air through gritted teeth and whimpered. Ling sighed, turned, and pulled Ed into a one-armed hug. He pulled Ed closer and closer until his chin was resting on Ling's shoulder.

"It's going to be okay, Ed," Ling said. "I'm not going to let anything like that happen to you ever again."

_Ed's body convulsed and spasmed, his screams forced out in jerky spurts. Blood trickled down his chin as he bit his tongue. The shackles dug into Ed's wrists, rubbing the skin away and drawing blood. Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump until Miles's gun took out the ones manning the electrocution mechanism. The flow of electricity died, and several more shots echoed through the small room. Blood poured from the torturers' bodies, creating puddles that grew exponentially. Ling only saw it from the corner of his eye as he watched Ed's body slowly cease convulsing, tears breaking past any dams that held them back. The blond let loose a pitiful cry, sounding like a wounded animal. Ling supposed that he was. _

Ed flinched as the thunder clapped once more. Ling pressed his cheek to Ed's neck, hoping it would calm him.

The stray thought of waking Heinrich up occurred to Ling, but he thought against it. He wasn't sure why. Because Ed didn't want him to see him like this? How would Ling know what Ed would and wouldn't want?

Somehow, Ling knew his reasons were a little selfish. But he guessed that, though he'd try, Heinrich just wouldn't understand what Ed was going through, while Ling knew. Ling saw. Ling watched him pull away from him when he touched him the first time. No, Heinrich wasn't going to understand that.

That's what he kept telling himself.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Mustang leaned against the Fuhrer's door, trying to hear what General Miles was saying. He could barely make anything out. Since when did either superior talk so quietly!?

His ears perked up with he finally heard something substantial.

"Due to this, we can't work with Xing until a different emperor is seated." General Miles said.

"I agree. And Fullmetal?" Fuhrer Armstrong asked.

"He should have vacation time to recover from his trauma."

"What's his current state?"

"According to Ling Yao, he relives what happened every time he hears thunder. He shies from contact and refuses to lie on his back. I will be checking on him later today."

Mustang's eyes widened. Trauma? Shies from contact?

The sounds of General Miles retreating from the room reached Mustang's ears. Mustang jumped back and pretended he was just walking past the office. Miles opened the office door, spotted Mustang's retreating back, and narrowed his eyes.

"Colonel!"

Mustang froze, turned around, and saluted him.

"General."

He'd never get used to those red eyes glaring at him.

"Don't tell anyone about what you just heard. This isn't some bit of gossip from your dates you can spread all over the base." Miles ordered.

"Yes, sir. I won't, sir." What kind of person did Miles think he was?

Miles walked past him, probably on his way to the Elric residence.

. . . Of course, he would have to tell Havoc. The guy was Ed's best co-worker friend.


	15. Chapter 15

Red Roses2: This created itself, and I'm actually really proud of it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Heinrich shook Ling awake. Ling squinted at Heinrich, the overhead light hurting his eyes.

"What?" he said groggily.

"Where's Ed!?" Heinrich demanded, grabbing the front of his shirt, teeth bared.

Ling's eyes widened, looked at where Ed had sat on the couch last night, registered that the alchemist was no longer there, and jumped off the couch.

"Ed?" Ling called.

"He's not in the house!" Heinrich shouted, glaring at Ling like it was his fault.

Ling ran a hand through his hair. This . . . wasn't good.

"I'll call General Miles. You wake the others up," Ling said, running to the phone. He grabbed it and dialed the military area code. The phone rang twice before it was picked up.

"Central Command. Whom should I connect your call to?"

"General Miles! I'm calling to update him on the status of Edward Elric!"

"Who is this?"

"Ling Yao! I was with him in Xing!"

"Please hold."

"Hold!" The click signaled that he was, indeed, put on hold. "Augh!"

Upstairs, Heinrich shook awake Hoenheim, who had camped out in Ed's room. Hoenheim groggily squinted at him.

"What is it?" Hoenheim asked, groping around for his glasses.

"Ed's missing!"

Hoenheim jumped to life, stuffed his glasses onto his nose, and grabbed Heinrich's shoulders.

"Are you certain?"

"He's not in the house, and he's not in the yard!"

"Who else is awake?"

"Ling's calling General Miles."

"Okay. I'll wake Al. He'll know where he'd go."

Heinrich grunted, but didn't say anything as Hoenheim crossed the hall, quietly went into Al's and Mei's room, and touched Al's shoulder. Al opened his eyes and looked over at him.

"What is it?"

"Ed's missing," Hoenheim whispered, careful not to wake Ming or Mei.

Al's eyes widened. He gently removed himself from the covers and followed Hoenheim into the hall.

"Are you sure?" Al asked, worry shining in his eyes.

Hoenheim swallowed the urge to hit him. Those eyes, full of concern, over someone he hurt so badly. . . .

"Heinrich has already looked through the entire house and backyard. He can't find him."

Al frowned, and the two Elrics hurried down the stairs into the kitchen.

Ling hung up the phone and looked over his shoulder. "General Miles will be here with a few other soldiers to help look. Anyone know where he could've gone in the meantime?"

Al took out a pencil and a piece of paper and wrote a note for Mei and the others as he responded. "He might've gone to one of the libraries. Whether it's the local one or a military one, I can't be sure. Without Ed, none of us would be able to get into a military one. . . . Then there's the Hughes' residence."

Hoenheim raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Gracia and Elysia Hughes. They're . . . they're like family to me and Ed. Maes Hughes, Gracia's husband and Elysia's dad, was a close friend of ours before Envy killed him. Winry was close to him, too. . . ."

Al's and Hoenheim's eyes widened at the same time. "Winry!"

Heinrich and Ling furrowed their eyebrows. "Who's Winry?" Heinrich asked.

"Childhood friend," Al mumbled. He pressed his knuckle to his chin. "His automail would act weird from all that electricity. Do you think he'd actually go all the way to Risembool just to get it fixed?"

Hoenheim shook his head. "Not to get it fixed." He crossed the kitchen and picked up the phone. He dialed the one number he could never forget. "To feel better and forget." Someone picked up on the other line.

"Hello, Rockbell residence. We have all your automail needs."

"Pinako?"

"Hoenheim? Is that you?"

"Yes. Is Ed over there?"

"No, why would he be?"

"He needs some automail repairs, and he's not here, so we thought he'd be there."

"Hm. Well, we'll tell you if he does show up."

"All right. Thanks." Hoenheim hung up. "He's not there. At least not yet."

Heinrich slammed his fist onto the table, then crossed the room, grabbed his coat, and stuffed his arms into the sleeves.

"Where's that library?" Heinrich demanded, eyes brimming with determination.

Al grabbed a coat as well. "I'll take you there. Dad, Ling, stay here until the general gets here."

Hoenheim nodded, and Ling gave them a mock salute. Alphonse and Alfons shut the door behind them.

~!#$%^&*()_+

General Miles knocked on the door, Colonel Mustang, 1st Lieutenants Havoc and Hawkeye, and Sergeant Fuery accompanying him. Solemn described Mustang's face clearly. Havoc looked depressed, Hawkeye and Fuery sympathetic. Black Hayate sat at Hawkeye's feet. Hoenheim opened the door and let them in.

By this point, the rest of the household was awake, and worry draped over everyone. Wendy, Edward, Ran Fan, Mei, and Fu sat around the kitchen table. They all looked up as the military officials entered the room.

"Where're Al and Heinrich?" Havoc asked.

"They went to check the library," Ling said.

Mustang nodded. "That was smart."

General Miles pushed up his (new) sunglasses. "1st Lieutenant Hawkeye brought her dog. The dog can sniff him down. Is there anything here with Ed's scent undoubtably on it?"

"There's that coat he always wears," Wendy said, walking over to the coat rack. She lifted the red coat up and handed it to them. "He's the only one who wears it."

Hoenheim's eyes widened. He hadn't noticed it was still there. . . .

"He left . . . without it?" Hoenheim asked weakly, collapsing into a chair. "He never leaves without it. . . ."

Wendy frowned. Hawkeye took the coat and nudged it under Black Hayate's nose. "Got his scent?" Fuery asked. Black Hayate barked once.

"Lead the way, then." Hawkeye said. Black Hayate began to sniff the ground, his nails click-clacking on the linoleum.

"Um," Mei hesitated. The officials looked at her. "If all you need is the dog. . . why are there so many of you?"

Mustang, Havoc, and Fuery all closed their eyes and pulled out their weapons – Mustang his gloves, Havoc and Fuery their guns.

"Just in case, ma'am," Fuery said, pointing the barrel at the ceiling. Mustang slipped his gloves on.

"Besides, we've known Ed since he entered the military ten years ago," added Havoc. "Hawkeye and Mustang for twelve years, and General Miles for seven. We're all pretty close to him. It's a miracle we brought this _few_ people with how many actually wanted to come and help."

Mei bit her lip. "W-will you actually _need_ those?"

"We hope not." Mustang said; this must've been Al's wife. . . . How could Al _not_ invite Ed to the wedding? After everything they'd been through. . . .

With Black Hayate's nose to the ground, the military officials left, hot on the trail.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich and Al exited the library. Al sighed. Heinrich punched his palm, teeth gritted and anger pulsing through his veins. Worry shined in Al's eyes, and multiple scenarios ran through his head.

"Where could he be?" Al asked rhetorically. "I guess we could stop by the Hughes' residence, but it's a bit of a long-shot."

Something in Heinrich's mind snapped. This guy kept acting all worried and concerned. How could he when he _left_ Ed all alone for so long, before Heinrich even met Ed? Heinrich grasped the front of Al's shirt and slammed him into the wall. Al yelped in surprise.

"Heinrich?" Al said cautiously.

"How can you _act_ like this!?" Heinrich hissed. Puffs of his breath blew on Al's face. Al scrunched up his face, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"Act like what?"

Heinrich pulled him back, then slammed him against the building wall again.

"Like you care! Like you give a damn about how he feels!"

Al's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"I do! I do care!"

"Don't lie!"

Heinrich's fists trembled, his body shook, and his glare could've melted steel, he was so angry.

"You broke him long before I even showed up here! You broke his heart into a million pieces, then you off and go get _married_ and have a _kid_, then _come back_ _with_ your new family, _rubbing it_ in _his face_, and _then_ he goes off on a mission, _emotionally exhausted_ because of _you_ and he's _tortured_ by those _bastards_ and NOW _WE CAN'T FIND HIM_!" Heinrich let go of Al's shirt, throwing his arms down furiously. "He's hurt, and alone, and no one's there for him! He's been hurt and alone for a long time now, and I know I'm not enough yet! And now _no one_ can find him and he _needs_ me!" Angry tears leaked from Heinrich's eyes and burned trails down his cheeks. "And he _won't open up to me_ because he's still _in love with you_ even after all you've done to _hurt him_!"

Al stared at Heinrich, jaw hanging. Slowly, he closed his mouth and lowered his eyes.

"I know. . . . And I'm sorry."

Heinrich gritted his teeth, pulled his arm back, and punched Al right in the nose. Al fell over and touched his nose, hissing as it stung. Blood gushed from his nostrils.

"That's all you can say!? You're _sorry_!?"

Al tightened his jaw, snapped his head up, and glared at Heinrich. "YES! That's all I can say! Because I let it happen, I let myself hurt him, I let myself manipulate him for _years_, even when we were _children_, even when I didn't even _have _needs! I let myself be a greedy bastard all this time, and when I finally stopped, I'd already done and taken everything from him! I deserve your frustration, your anger, your hatred, but even more so, I _deserve_ Ed to _loathe_ me, hate my very _existence_, but even now I can see he still thinks of me as his "perfect" little brother! There's nothing I _can_ do except say sorry! Okay? That's _all_!"

Al and Heinrich breathed heavily, almost in unison, blood still pounding in Heinrich's body and still flowing from Al's nose. Al wiped it away the best he could, stood up and walked past him.

"Maybe we should see if General Miles came by the house yet," Al said.

Heinrich nodded.

"Al?" said the familiar voice of Colonel Mustang. Al and Heinrich froze, then slowly turned to their left, spotting the colonel, accompanied by Hawkeye, Havoc, Fuery, and Miles. Black Hayate sniffed around near their feet. Al and Heinrich laughed nervously. "What happened to your nose?"

"Nevermind. Not important," Al said. "Have you found Ed?"

Hawkeye pointed at Black Hayate. "He's sniffing him down. Since you're here, you can follow." She did raise an eyebrow at Al's nose. "Are you sure that's not anything?"

"Positive, Lieutenant." Al muttered self-consciously.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Black Hayate came to a stop right at the tracks in the train station and barked affirmatively. Hawkeye bent down and petted Black Hayate on the head.

"Good boy," Hawkeye said, then stood back up. "Apparently, he got on a train. We can ask what kind of ticket he bought and where he was going."

A man dressed in oil-stained clothes walked up to them. "There anything I can do for you, sirs?"

"Do you recognize this man?" Fuery asked, holding up a recent picture of Ed. The man nodded.

"Sure do. He asked what it cost for a train ticket to no where."

"No where?" Miles said.

The man nodded. "Said he didn't want to go anywhere, just that he wanted to ride the train. Felt kind of bad for him. Sun hadn't even come up yet, and he looked real down. He was also lugging this suit of armor with him like it was his most prized possession. I lied and told him it didn't cost nothing. The train he took should be coming back in right 'bout now."

Al's eyes widened. "A suit of armor?"

The man nodded. "It was a weird one, I'll tell you. Had this horn on the helmet and a loincloth of all things."

Al paled and looked down at the ground.

The man pointed up the train tracks. "In fact, there's the train now."

"Thank you very much, sir," Mustang said.

The train whistle blew, and the cars rumbled as the train pulled to a stop. Havoc was the first to spot which car Ed was in. The group marched into the train car. Al halted right next to the entrance, memories flashing through his head. So many times he had sat across from Ed on a train in that suit of armor. . . .

Ed looked up as Heinrich walked towards him.

"Ed? Are you okay?" Heinrich asked, ignoring the suit of armor for now. Ed shrugged, lowering his eyes. He smiled softly. "Have you had a lot of good memories on trains?" Ed shrugged again.

"Not really. . . . They just mean I'm going somewhere, to or from. . . . I managed to get to sleep, though." Ed muttered.

Heinrich sat next to Ed and took his flesh hand into his own.

"It's great you have something comforting. But you really scared us. No one knew where you were. General Miles even came out to help look for you."

Ed glanced at him apologetically. "Sorry."

Heinrich gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay. Next time, let someone come with you, okay?" Ed nodded. "I think we should go now. The train won't be stationary forever, and there's a breakfast waiting for you back home." Heinrich finally let his eyes rest on the suit of armor. "By the way, where'd that thing come from?"

Ed's bangs covered his eyes. "The trunk in the yard."

"We'll help you get it back home, okay?"

Ed nodded.

Mustang, Havoc, Fuery, Hawkeye, and Al all took the armor apart and carried the parts back to the Elric residence. Miles kept an arm around Ed's shoulders, as though he expected Ed to make a break for it. Heinrich stayed behind momentarily to thank the man who had let Ed onto the train and snuck him a twenty. The man stared at it uncomprehendingly and shouted a thank-you once he realized what the money was for.


	16. Chapter 16

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

The phone rang in the Rockbell residence once again. Winry answered it.

"Hello, Rockbell residence. We have all your automail needs. How may we help you?"

She nearly dropped the phone when she heard Ed's whisper on the other line. Granny Pinako had said Hoenheim called to say Ed needed repairs, but she never expected he'd call her himself.

"Hey, Winry." She could barely hear it, but it was definitely Ed.

"Ed! How are you?"

She heard a sound that she couldn't differentiate from a chuckle or a sob.

"My automail keeps . . . releasing electrical charge. Almost killed me when I got in the shower this morning. It's detached right now. Whenever anyone gets close to it, though, it shocks them."

Winry's jaw dropped. "How'd you get it off without me?"

"Dad and I kind of have a full house. Al and his new family are living here until they buy a house, and another family – the Heinrich family – is living here until they can get used to everything. Edward and Alfons Heinrich are both engineers. They've never worked with automail before, but Edward said it wasn't too different from working on a large train model. . . ."

Winry placed a hand on her hip. "You let a couple of _train_ engineers work on your automail!?"

"Didn't have a choice. . . ."

Winry gasped as a mental image entered her head. Electrical charge + water from the shower = conductivity. Not wet, the automail would be fine unless put near something else highly electrical, but with water pouring on it. She covered her mouth as her imagination fed her the image of Ed twitching and convulsing on the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Ed." Winry whispered.

"It's . . . well, don't worry too much about it. I'm kind of in the hospital right now, so I can't come out to see you to get new automail. Can you come over here?"

Winry nodded. "Sure thing, Ed. Is there anything else you want me to bring with me?"

"If – if it's not too much trouble. . . ." Ed said. "Could – could you bring over some of those picture albums? The ones with photos of us as kids? You, me, and Al?"

Winry looked at the phone as if she didn't believe her ears. "Um, okay. You sure?"

"Yeah."

"See you in a couple days, then."

"Thanks, Winry."

"No problem. Bye."

"See you."

Winry hung up, unable to shake the mental image away. She pressed her palm to her eyes, trying to will it away, but it only became more vivid.

Did she screw up that much on the automail? It's not supposed to cause spurts of electrical charge.

Winry jumped, startled, when a hand touched her shoulder. She turned around. Scar looked at her, concerned.

"Is everything all right, Winry?" Scar asked.

Winry shook her head. "Ed's automail – it electrocuted him. I have to go to Central to fix it."

Scar cocked his head to the side. "Like I have to go to Central for my 'check-up'?"

Winry looked at him uncomprehendingly, then she hit her forehead with her palm.

"I completely forgot about that." She gave him a small smile. "Might as well go together then."

Scar nodded. A small blush covered his cheeks. "Winry?"

"Yeah?"

Scar rubbed the back of his neck. "Edward and Alphonse won't be happy about . . . do we have to tell them?"

Winry nodded. "Of course. They're my best friends. They won't understand at first, but Al has some skeletons in the closet I can bring up if he disapproves, so all you really have to worry about is Ed."

Scar raised an eyebrow. _All_ he had to worry about? Ed was the one with the temper! And he didn't get along very well with him as it was. . . .

"What skeletons?" Scar asked, finding that question to be easier said than his concerns.

Winry shook her head, her smile now a frown, and crossed the room to where her automail supplies were. Scar knew that was the end of the conversation.

Winry and Pinako had been very kind to him. He knew he wasn't fully forgiven for what he did to their family in Ishbal, but he was part of their family, and they part of his, now.

He doubted Ed would ever be able to look past the past.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Scar and Winry stared at the other passengers on the train. Every single one of them were Xingese. The train had been deserted until it pulled in to the Quin Train Station, and then it was flooded by Xingese people. Winry gripped her bag of tools nervously, and Scar adjusted the automail-parts bag so no one else could see it.

Through pressed lips, Winry mumbled, "All these guys look like they're royalty, or at least working for royalty."

Scar nodded. Their eyes snapped onto one exceptionally dressed Xingese man who scanned the seats and chose one across from their row. He let out a satisfied sigh and stretched.

"I hope the Fuhrer will appreciate the special attention," he said to one of his companions – or servants. "I was terribly heart-broken when she changed her mind about allying Amestris with us. I wonder what happened."

The companion/servant rolled his eyes. "Maybe it has something to do with how that Amestrian alchemist went back home with Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome and those murdered interrogators in the dungeon, sir."

The man grabbed the companion/servant's shoulder and pulled him closer to him. "I have no idea _what_ you're talking about. If anyone from the Amestrian Army asks, neither do you."

The companion/servant muttered his surrender, and the man returned to his relaxing. Winry furrowed her eyebrows. Amestrian alchemist? Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome? _Hoenheim said he thought Ed would be here. Wonder why. Surely he would've told him if he was. _Winry's eyes widened, then hardened in anger. She stood up abruptly. Scar looked at her, alarmed.

"Winry?"

She marched up to the Xingese gentleman and put her hands on her hips. The man glanced up at her.

"Yes, young lady?" the man asked.

"I don't know who you are," Winry said, "but is the alchemist your friend here was talking about the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric?"

A tense silence hung in the air as the man stared at her, then slowly stood up. He pinched her chin between his thumb and index knuckle.

"And if he was? You're in no position to - ." the man began, but Winry whipped out her wrench and bashed the guy in the head. He fell against the seat in front of him, and she pulled her arm back for another hit.

Scar grabbed her wrist, weaved an arm around her waist and pulled her away from the man.

"YOU SICK BASTARD!" Winry screamed, kicking her legs out. The servants stared at her and Scar, hands at their hilts. "I HOPE THE FUHRER KICKS YOUR SCRAWNY ASS FOR HURTING HIM!"

Scar attempted to drag Winry to another car, but the servants formed a circle around them. Scar gulped. This wasn't good. . . . And he was still on probation for murdering all those state alchemists. . . .

Scar released Winry's wrist, touched the floor, and deconstructed the floor. The servants – or bodyguards – backed away. Scar crawled into the hole he made, pulling on Winry's shirt as he did so.

"Winry," Scar said firmly. Winry glared at the men around her, then followed Scar down the hole. She circled her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck and held on tight. Scar gripped the bottom of the train car and did his best to climb to another car – preferably one without Xingese bodyguards.

The bodyguards looked to their ruler for commands. The new Xingese emperor shrugged. "They're not an issue," he insisted. "The engineers will fix the hole at the next stop."

Under the train, Scar froze as he felt Winry shaking against him.

"Winry?" Scar asked. "Are you . . . crying?"

He felt Winry nod against his neck.

"That – that must've been how Ed's automail became so electrically charged. . . . Scar, I don't know how to make automail that won't do that. After all he went through, his automail went and backfired on him like that. . . ."

Scar didn't know anything about automail. He knew less about it than he did about alchemy, and he didn't pretend otherwise. All he knew about it was that Winry was passionate about it, and she cared about Ed very much and that's why she made automail for him.

"I'm sorry," he said, not knowing what else to say. Winry nodded again.

The train rumbled on the tracks, Scar and Winry unable to get out from under it until it came to a stop at the Youswell Mines. They crawled out from underneath it and tried to find a car that didn't house people Winry felt like hitting with her wrench. They ended up rooming with the workers in the engine room.

Gently, Scar rested an arm around Winry's shoulders and held her close to him. Winry pressed her cheek against his chest, worry evident in her eyes. He knew she was thinking about Ed.

Sometimes he wondered why Winry wasn't Ed's fiancée instead.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Havoc knocked on Ed's hospital door, even though it was wide open. Ed looked up, startled. Havoc frowned.

"You been spacing out long?" he asked him.

Ed stared back at the sheets, not looking at him. He nodded, not saying a word. Havoc's frown deepened.

"Mustang wanted me to bring you this," Havoc said, holding up a chess set. Ed nodded. Havoc sighed, walked over to the bedside chair, and sat down. "What'd the doctor say?" Ed shook his head. Havoc furrowed his eyebrows. "Ed?"

"He hasn't said anything since the shower," Hoenheim said, entering the room. Havoc looked over his shoulder. Hoenheim stuffed his hands into his pocket. "The nurse said he made a call earlier, but we don't know to who or why."

Havoc chewed on his unlit cigarette.

"How'd that happen, anyway?" Havoc asked.

Hoenheim lowered his head.

"It was almost like when he ran off to the train station. . . . We didn't know where he was for a while. Ran Fan heard the running water first. I went up the stairs and tried the doorknob, just in case. . . . He usually locks it, especially now that the house is so crowded. . . . but it was unlocked. When I opened it, his body . . . wouldn't stop seizing. Water built up in the tub, causing the electricity to conduct more. . . . Without thinking, I grabbed him and managed to pull him out before letting go. I hit the floor and shook for a while. The sound of both of us hitting the bathroom floor brought the rest of them up. . . . We were so scared we didn't even notice Ed still had all his clothes on. . . . You know how those with Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome do strange things like that, right?"

Havoc nodded. "Mustang and Hughes did some weird stuff like that when they came back from Ishbal. Major Armstrong, too."

Hoenheim sat on the edge of Ed's hospital bed. "Al yelled for anything that could get the automail off. Both he and I were afraid we'd hurt him if we did it with alchemy. Heinrich and his brother managed to get his arm and leg off. Almost as soon as they were off, Ed stopped convulsing, but he wasn't responding to anything either. Wendy called the ambulance right after. . . . The doctor says he's to avoid any and all stress stimulants until they can determine whether or not he's developed a heart condition."

Havoc leaned back in his chair. "You want me to tell Mustang to give Ed a longer vacation."

Hoenheim nodded.

"Will do," Havoc replied. He laid the chess set down on the bed next to Hoenheim. "We'll miss you, Ed, but try to get better, okay?"

Ed nodded.

"I've gotta go, but I'll come by with Fuery or Hawkeye next time."

A nod. Havoc sighed through his nose.

"Bye."

As Havoc left the room, he caught a glimpse of the sleeping form of Alfons Heinrich. He gave Hoenheim a questioning raised eyebrow. Hoenheim smiled sadly.

"He hasn't moved from Ed's side, not even when the ambulance came."

Havoc looked back at Heinrich. Heinrich's back pressed against the wall, his head tilted onto his left shoulder, eyes closed, arms crossed, knees pulled to his chest.

Was this guy the new boyfriend?

Havoc decided that he could ask later and continued on his way. He wondered if he should tell Mustang and the others his suspicions . . . about Ed's relationship with Al and this Heinrich guy.


	17. Chapter 17

Red Roses2: I don't follow the anime when it comes to who killed Winry's parents. If you don't know who killed Winry's parents in the manga, beware of spoilers, it's mentioned in the first part of this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

General Miles examined the written report of Scar's last three years on probation. Miles looked up at the other Ishbalan, his face straight. Scar sat in the chair across from him, his back straight and his face serious. They stared at each other for a few moments before General Miles smiled.

"You've come a long way from your days as a murderer."

Scar blinked in surprise, then glanced at the report. Miles chuckled.

"Ms. Rockbell didn't let you read it beforehand, did she?"

Scar shook his head. Miles slipped off his sunglasses and handed the report back.

"She mentions that you and she are engaged to be married."

The dark pink blush covered Scar's entire face. Miles tried not to laugh.

"It's quite an achievement you two have made. You've gone from being the monster who murdered her parents, to someone she'd like to spend the rest of her life with. I congratulate you both."

Pink turned to brick red. Scar coughed into his hand.

"That's if the Fullmetal Alchemist doesn't kill me first."

"He won't be able to." Miles assured him. Scar raised an eyebrow. Miles offered him something off his desk – something that reminded Scar of a wallet, but had a shiny badge on the front. "We still can't have you completely free from military surveillance, so this may not be ideal for you, but it'll give Ed a chance to not hate your guts." Scar furrowed his eyebrows, confused.

"What is it?"

"It's a badge labeling you as Ed's new bodyguard."

Scar stared at him, eyes wide. His face went from brick red to pale brown as he imagined Ed's reaction to this news. Miles continued to smile at him.

"I think you two will actually get along. Good luck."

"Th-thank you," Scar said, not sure if he was or not. It was better than being restrained to the Rockbell household, unable to leave or do anything.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Winry hesitated to enter Ed's hospital room. She held her bags in her arms, and a small blush covered her cheeks. Ed . . . hadn't mentioned he had a boyfriend. . . . He only finally told her he was even gay a couple years ago.

A man who looked a _lot_ like Al lay next to Ed on the hospital bed, holding the alchemist in his arms. His chin was firmly set on Ed's head, Ed's nose nuzzled into his neck. Both looked to be asleep, which was understandable; it was early in the morning.

Visiting hours were probably ignored considering Ed was the People's Alchemist. . . .

She gently set her bags on the floor, quietly stepped toward the chair, and sat down.

"Ed?" she whispered.

Ed didn't show any sign of coming back to the land of the living, but the man's eyes snapped open. Winry jumped, the glare he gave her pretty scary. The man's glare dissipated as recognition took its place.

"Wendy?"

Winry smiled nervously. "No, I – I'm Winry. A childhood friend of Ed's. He called me a couple days ago and. . . ."

The man gently removed his arms from Ed and sat up.

"So you're the only one he's talked to."

Winry's smile faltered. She looked back at Ed. His blond hair was splayed on the pillow, unrestrained by any ponytail or braid like it was when he was awake. She tried to remember the last time she had seen him like this.

She couldn't.

"My name is Alfons Heinrich. Only my brother and his wife have been calling me Alfons lately; everyone else calls me Heinrich." Heinrich said, smiling at her.

"So as to avoid confusion with Ed's brother, Al, right?"

Heinrich nodded.

Winry and Heinrich soon found they had no idea what to say to the other. Silence reigned for quite some time.

"How's he doing, anyway?" Winry asked. "He didn't really tell me over the phone."

Heinrich sighed. "Sounds just like him."

His frown worried Winry.

"Apparently all the electricity ruined his heart. The doctors called it ventricular fibrillation. The doctors were planning on implanting something called an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator to try to fix it, but as soon as they mentioned it used an electrical current, Mr. Hoenheim just marched in here, did some kind of alchemy, and supposedly everything's fine. The doctors don't believe him, and he's banned from the hospital. They're keeping him here to make sure he really is okay."

Winry furrowed her eyebrows. "What kind of alchemy would get him kicked out of a hospital?"

Heinrich shrugged. "All I really know about it is it's the same kind he used to get rid of my cough. They probably didn't like how there was blood everywhere afterwards, but Ed seems just fine. And I'm fine, so the alchemy probably works. . . ."

They lapsed into silence again. Winry bowed her head, hoping he couldn't see her tears. Heinrich ran his fingers through Ed's hair, careful not to snag a tangle. His expression softened.

"So, Winry," Heinrich said. Winry snapped her head up, then remembered to wipe her tears away. "Is there a way you can teach me how to fix automail? I don't think Brother and I detached it right. . . . There was a lot of screaming. . . ."

Winry nodded. "Sure. I can teach you."

Silence overtook them again, and neither one knew why it seemed to be so awkward between them. Winry bit her lip. Heinrich lowered his eyes to Ed once again.

"Are you his boyfriend?" Winry blurted out. Heinrich blinked, surprised. He smiled.

"I'd like to be. He's still not over his last one, though."

Winry stood up suddenly, putting her hands on her hips. "He already had a boyfriend and didn't tell me!?" Heinrich pressed a finger to his lips, and Winry covered her mouth. That didn't stop the vein in her forehead from throbbing. Ed still was oblivious to the world. She sighed exasperatedly. "I'm always the last one to hear about this stuff."

"If it makes you feel better, it wasn't really a relationship they could advertise," Heinrich said.

Winry crossed her arms.

"Oh, I have a feeling I already know who the ex-boyfriend is."

Heinrich's eyebrows flew up.

"Oh? Who do you think it is, then?"

Winry scrunched up her nose, threw her shoulders back, and lifted her chin up. "Al, of course. He's only been chasing after Ed since they were kids." Winry put her hands in the air. "I said he couldn't, but _no_, no one _ever_ listens to _me_. Al and I had a big argument about it; I only forgave him once he gave me those pictures I wanted. I had half a mind to tell their mom, but Ed was oblivious as to what Al was really after – I mean, what kind of seven-or-eight-year-old recognizing flirting? – and thought he was just being an affectionate little brother." Winry pressed her fingertips to her temple. "I didn't have the heart to tell him the truth, so I just sat back and watched, knowing it was probably going to happen eventually. I had my suspicions once Ed told me he was gay, but . . . ." A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Who broke the relationship off?"

Heinrich stared at her, face blank. He . . . wasn't sure what to think about that.

"Uh, Al did."

He watched as Winry's vein throbbed twice as much.

"Oh really?"

Heinrich nodded. "Ed was pretty upset about it when I first met him. He's better now. . . but I can tell he's not comfortable sharing living quarters with Al's wife. . . ."

Winry's jaw tightened. "Married to who?"

"A – a girl from Xing, wherever that is."

Winry's hands balled into fists and tightened as much as they could. Heinrich gulped.

"Are – are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine – perfectly fine. Al, however, certainly WON'T be once I'm done with him."

"It's okay, Winry."

Heinrich and Winry froze. Slowly, they both looked in Ed's direction. Ed pushed himself up with difficulty. Heinrich grabbed him under his remaining arm and helped him. He smiled at her, his eyes sad yet hopeful at the same time.

"It's okay," Ed said again, almost as though he wasn't just convincing Winry. "He has a beautiful daughter, and Mei is a very kind woman. I wouldn't change a thing about it." A smile broke through the expressionless mask he'd had this entire time. "Besides, if I was still with Al," he turned his gaze onto Heinrich. "I'd never have been able to be with you."

Heinrich's eyes widened, a gasp escaping his lips. He swore his heart just stopped. He didn't dare breath, for fear it broke whatever dream this was.

"Ed?"

Ed's smile widened into a grin.

"I want to try. I want – I want to love you, so I'm going to try. Just bare with me, okay?"

Heinrich's lips smiled, his eyes smiled, every part of him smiled.

"Okay, Ed. I promise."

Winry found her anger dissipating, and a smile crossed her features as well.

Damn it, she was kind of looking forward to hitting Al with her wrench. Oh well.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Havoc glared at the Xingese emperor. His grip on his gun tightened, his index finger dangerously close to the trigger.

"Sir, you're not authorized to visit the Fuhrer. I suggest you go home." Havoc said.

The sun beat down on them and the front gate behind Havoc. Havoc gritted his teeth.

"I'm sure the Fuhrer won't mind a small discussion about our countries' futures together," the Xingese emperor said. The bodyguards stood around them. One against a hundred.

"We don't work with torturers," Havoc hissed.

The Xingese emperor chuckled and opened his mouth to say something else, but –

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The emperor fell to the ground, blood splattering Havoc's front and face. His eyes echoed the vision of death: empty and blank, forever and ever.

The bodyguards unsheathed their knives and took out their own guns.

_Snap._

The bodyguards caught fire. Screams filled the air. Havoc's gun hit the ground. Mustang clapped Havoc on the shoulder.

"Come on." Mustang said, bending over to pick up Havoc's gun. "We have to get out of here."

"How?" Havoc said. "You set the street on fire."

"Hawkeye has a plan."

Havoc snorted.

"You guys knew I'd snap, didn't you?"

Mustang frowned. "We hoped you wouldn't," he admitted. "But you were the closest to Ed."

"He's like a little brother," Havoc said, not taking his eyes off of the emperor's corpse, which was slowly being engulfed by flames.

Mustang pulled on his arm, and Havoc let him take him away to whatever scheme he and Hawkeye cooked up. He knew it wasn't going to be enough to trick the Fuhrer.

He knew he was screwed. But he couldn't find it in him to care.


	18. Chapter 18

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

The _click_ and _bwoosh_ of a cigarette lighter lit the fuse on the impending conversation.

"Havoc, this is serious," Hawkeye said.

Havoc nodded. He brought the flame to his cigarette. He waited for the cigarette to light.

"I'm not even sure how we can cover this up," Mustang admitted, arms crossed, body tense, eyebrows furrowed.

Havoc puffed on his cigarette, the smoke wafting up to the ceiling.

"What were you thinking, man?" Breda asked, hand on his hip.

Havoc took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew the acrid smell upward. He snorted at the heart-shaped cloud.

"I have no idea. It just . . . happened." _Ed sitting on the bed, completely unresponsive. _"Everything went black." _Ed looking into his drink, a sad smile on his face as he remembered that person._ "I wasn't aware I even pulled the trigger." _Ed's surprised face as he asked him to have dinner with him that first time. _"I was wondering who was shooting until I heard the third shot." _His laugh as he finally let go of whatever was weighing him down at home. _"I looked at my hand, and just put two and two together." _How he cried when he told them he didn't know where Al was._ "I know I did it." _How Ed told him what a catch he was. _"But I didn't plan it. Not at all." _How he had never seen Ed really smile before._

The others shared a look. Fuery hugged his arms.

"Can we tell that to the judge and get him off?" Fuery asked.

Falman shook his head. "He'd still be put on probation, have his gun license revoked, and put in an anger management class."

"Better than any alternative," Havoc said, leaning back in his chair. "Question is, how are you guys passing off the colonel's involvement as an accident?"

Hawkeye pulled out a map and unfolded it.

"There's a gas station nearby that had a leakage. The fire accidentally blew it up. We can say the fire stemmed from that and carried down the street, incidentally burning the new Xingese regime to the ground as it did so." Hawkeye explained.

Havoc furrowed his eyebrows.

"I doubt Xing is going to accept that explanation." Havoc said.

"We don't need Xing to believe us," Breda said.

"We just need the Fuhrer to," Mustang added.

Havoc shrugged and put his cigarette back in his mouth.

_How he caught Ed crying in the bathroom that one time almost a year ago. How he tried to cheer him up. _

"There's one thing we can't do, though," Havoc said.

Everyone stared at him. "What's that?" Falman asked.

Havoc took his cigarette and rubbed the tip against the bottom of his shoe. The smell of ashes wafted to everyone's noses. Havoc looked at them, dead in the eye, his mouth a fine line and his eyes hard.

"We can't tell Ed what I've done."

Their eyes widened at his request.

"_What_?" Breda said.

"But Lieutenant - !" Fuery said.

"Havoc." Hawkeye said firmly.

"We can't do that!" Falman objected.

Mustang narrowed his eyes.

"If you do," Havoc said, shooting a glare at each and every one of them. "I'll make you regret it."

"Havoc, think reasonably!" Fuery begged. "Remember when we didn't tell him about Brigadier General Hughes's death? He was more hurt by that than his actual death, especially when he found out it had something to do with him. If you get thrown in jail or worse - !"

"Exactly!" Havoc argued. "He'll know why I did it! There's no other _reason_ for it to happen!"

Fuery stepped back, as if burned.

"If Ed finds out, he'll blame himself – you all know he will – and he'll continue on that damn spiral of depression that has him out of the office in the first place!" Havoc stood up. "If I do go to jail, or put on death row, or whatever happens to me, you're to tell him some bull crap about me being a spy or something. Something that he won't connect with _himself_. I know I don't have the status to demand this of you two," he pointed to Hawkeye and Mustang, "but you saw him crying that day, too. Do you really want to induce more of that with how fragile he is right now?"

Hawkeye and Mustang looked at each other. Hawkeye closed her eyes in surrender. Mustang locked eyes with Havoc.

"I won't lie to him if he asks me directly," Mustang insisted. Havoc's jaw tightened. Mustang let his shoulders slouch. "But I won't let him fall apart."

Silence reigned between them. Slowly, Havoc smirked.

"Okay."

Havoc held his hands out.

"So let's do this." Havoc said.

Falman took out the handcuffs and locked Havoc's wrists in them. The unit led one of their own out of the interrogation room and up the stairs . . . towards the Fuhrer's office.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Scar waited outside the hospital, ignoring the whispers and fearful looks he received. He fiddled with his new badge, flipping the wallet open and closed. An ID with Scar's picture lay inside the wallet, his real name written in Ishbalan lettering and the name Amestris knew him by written in Amestrian. It didn't matter that no one would call him by his real name, because none of the Amestrians could pronounce it; Winry tried several times, but failed.

Scar bit his lower lip. What was taking her so long?

He let out the breath he'd been holding once Winry exited the hospital. He sucked it back in once Ed followed behind her, a non-automail prosthetic leg a temporary replacement. He looked . . . annoyed. Scar almost didn't notice the other companion with them; when he looked up at him, his eyes widened.

Al grew. . . . A lot.

Winry smiled and ran towards him. She latched herself onto his arm and looked back at Ed.

Ed took a double take. He gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowed, and he pointed an angry finger at him.

"WHAT'S HE DOING HERE!?" Ed demanded.

Scar held up his badge. "General Miles says I'm your new body guard."

Ed's face spasmed comically.

"WHAT!? And – Winry, what're you doing HUGGING HIM!?"

Winry winked at Ed.

"He's my fiancé, silly. If you actually called or came to visit every now and then, you'd know that."

Ed's jaw dropped. He opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out. He gestured emphatically, but to no avail. If he had a non-automail prosthetic arm to go with the leg, maybe he'd be able to make more of those gestures, but Scar had a feeling it wouldn't have helped matters.

Al placed a hand on Ed's shoulder.

"Calm down, Ed, or you'll blow a gasket. The doctor said to take it easy."

Ed glared at Al. "Heinrich, if you had any idea who this guy was, you wouldn't be saying that." Wait. . . . Heinrich?

"That's not your brother?" Scar asked.

Ed turned his glare back onto Scar. The Al-look-alike rubbed the back of his neck.

"No, I'm not. I'm Alfons Heinrich, a friend of Ed's." Heinrich turned back to Ed. "And what could he have done that would be so bad?"

Ed's eyebrow twitched and his vein throbbed, in unison.

"Oh, not much, just murder several state alchemists, attempt to murder _me_ and Mustang, and actually _did_ murder Winry's _parents_!"

Heinrich gasped and looked back at Winry, scandalized. Scar bowed his head in shame, his face burning. Winry glared at Ed.

"It was an accident," Winry said calmly, tightening her grip on Scar's arm.

"Oh, he told you that, did he?" Ed said scathingly.

"Yes, and I believe him," Winry answered, closing her eyes and lifting her chin up, like an obstinate child.

Ed balked and could only stare, disbelieving. Winry opened her eyes, pity in her stare.

"Ed, why do you only see black and white? After everything you've been through – after all the horrible things that have happened, and the people with so many different sides to them you've met – how can you still see everything in black and white? Scar's done bad things, so he's bad. Al's done good things, so he's good. And yet you can't see the good that Scar has done, and the bad that Al has done."

Scar glanced at Heinrich and saw the mirror image of his own face: the expression of feeling out of place, being an audience to a private conversation that you were never supposed to hear or even understand, of having something you were afraid to know forced upon you even though you didn't have any business knowing.

"It's not just them, either. Your attitude towards Hoenheim was the worst, and Greed drove you insane with how contradictory he was." An ironic smile crossed Winry's face. "You even view me in black and white. Why can't you let a few shades of gray in?"

Ed furrowed his eyebrows. He stuffed his hand into his pocket and sighed.

"I've had enough gray matter for a lifetime, Winry. Alchemy's full of it."

"Which is why one would think you'd recognize it in humans."

Winry let go of Scar's arm and began to march toward the Elric household. Ed followed her. Scar and Heinrich merely watched them go, then shared a look. Scar shrugged. Heinrich smiled awkwardly at him; Scar didn't blame him. When Ed and Winry both reached the entrance to the hospital courtyard, they both looked over their shoulders and, in unison, said, "You coming or what?"

Heinrich hurried to Ed's side while Scar trailed behind them, silent as the grave. Heinrich rested a hand on Ed's left shoulder. Ed shrugged it off, ignoring the flash of a frown. Heinrich's pace faltered slightly, but he didn't say anything. Ed walked a little faster. Winry sighed and smiled apologetically at Heinrich.

"Sorry. He gets like that. I guess he's been a little depressed and not himself since Al ran off, so that'd mean you're not used to his idiosyncrasies yet."

Heinrich blanched slightly.

"There's . . . _more_?"

Winry laughed, her voice fluttering up to the heavens like a bird. Scar allowed himself a smile – something he only did when Winry did something.

"You already know his worst habits, so it shouldn't be too big of an adjustment," Winry reassured. Heinrich laughed nervously.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Al ducked as Winry's wrench flew past his head. The vein in her forehead throbbed once again. Al stared at her, horrified.

"What was _that_ for?" Al squeaked.

Hoenheim envied Winry's freedom to such a thing. He knew he shouldn't receive such relief and – dare he say – glee from his youngest son almost getting hit in the head by a wrench, but almost every day he felt like hitting or strangling Al. The feeling only increased with every mishap that happened to Ed.

Ming chose that moment to cry her lungs out. Mei bounced her up and down and shushed, but that only made Ming cry louder. Winry had the decency to look guilty.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake her." Winry said.

Mei gave her a nervous smile, obviously afraid to offend the seemingly easily-offended young lady.

"How is everybody?" Ed asked, pointedly ignoring the Ishbalan in the kitchen.

Ling brought his knee to his chest, scraping dirt onto the kitchen counter as he did so.

"Al and Mei finally picked out a house, and they, Dad, and Ran Fan will be moving in a couple of days." Ling said.

Ed halted in his advance towards the cabinet. Slowly, he turned to look at Ling.

"What about you?" Ed asked.

Ling raised an eyebrow.

"Your unit didn't tell you? The new Xingese emperor had the audacity to come to the Fuhrer's office unannounced, and one of your guys killed him. Three loud shots, then the street burst into flames. Well, that's the rumor, anyway."

Ed's eyes widened. "Burst into . . . ."

Ling shrugged. "That's what I've heard. But apparently, I'm the next one in line for the throne, so I'm going back to Xing. 'Course, I'll drop by and visit every now and then, and Xing will have to meet the rest of the royal family, extensions and all, so expect an invitation soon. I've got a week to haul my butt back over there."

Ling hopped off the counter and traveled to the backyard. Ed looked back at the cabinet, his mind reeling.

_Burst into flame. Three shots. Flame. Flame Alchemist. Shots. Guns. Hawkeye. Xingese emperor. Electrocuted. Burst into flame. Three shots. Emperor. Electrocuted. Flame, shot, emperor, electrocuted. Flame, shot, emperor, electrocuted. Flame – _

"Ed?" Hoenheim's voice crashed through his reverie. Ed looked at him, confused.

"Huh?"

Hoenheim frowned. "Are you all right?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Ed ran a hand through his hair. Hoenheim clapped him on the left shoulder.

"Perhaps you should sit down. You did just get back."

Ed nodded absentmindedly, the static images and imaginings running through his head.


	19. Chapter 19

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Al clamped his bag shut, the locks clacking together. Mei scurried around downstairs with Ran Fan and Fu, gathering everything that was theirs together and saying their goodbyes. Al looked around the room that used to be his but wasn't anymore. His eyes scanned over things that were obviously Heinrich's – spare wrenches and other tools Al couldn't fathom a guess as to what they were, a few leather bound books (one of which looked like a diary, and the others looked like research journals), and a mug filled with pens – and over things that he had left behind in his haste so many months ago.

He wondered if Heinrich had any idea what he and Ed did in this bed. It wasn't often – mostly in Ed's room – but the memory of it was most vivid in his own room.

_Al – ha - ! Aahmmmgh, Al! _

Al closed his eyes and covered his ears. No, he couldn't linger on that anymore. He had a wife. He had a _baby_. A baby who would be turning one once summer was over. He shouldn't still be thinking – still _wanting_ – to hear Ed make those sounds again, to _make_ Ed say those things.

_Pant, pant, pant, moan, groan, gasp, long drawn out whine, Aaaaal, ah, Al! _

"Stop it," Al whispered, dropping to his knees. "Please."

_His breath, his heat, his sweat, his arms circled around his shoulders, the taste of his mouth, of his fluid, of his everything. His body buckling – collapsing – thrashing – depending on how he'd touch him. How much control he gave. So much control. _

"Al?"

Al gasped. He whipped his head over his shoulder, eyes landing on Ed standing in the doorway. Ed's eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"Are you okay?" Ed asked, stepping towards him.

Al couldn't say anything; his voice was frozen in his throat, fearful. Ed knelt down next to him and laid his automail hand on his shoulder. He smiled at him.

"You can tell me. I'm still your brother, after all. . . right?"

Al nodded, still not able to say anything.

Ed stood up and helped Al pack the second bag. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something. If you don't mind, that is."

Al slowly stood up, watching flesh and automail hands handle Al's and Mei's possessions – things that belonged to both of them. A pang thrummed in his chest as he reminded himself of his wife.

"It's fine," Al said; what he was talking about, he wasn't entirely sure.

Ed laid the diaper packages into the bag.

"Do you hate me?"

Al's eyes widened. "What?"

Ed's bangs hid his eyes, and the older brother turned his head away from Al, bending down to pick something up. Al didn't know what Ed was doing anymore. He couldn't pull his attention away from how his brother moved.

"I was wondering because – well, you hadn't talked to me, really, since you came back. . . . I understand if you do. . . . But I just want to know. Do you hate me?"

Al balled his hands into frustrated fists. "Why would I hate you!? You've been nothing but a great brother – a great _person_ – even after I basically forced all this on you, and you think I _hate_ you?"

Ed smiled sadly, lifting his head high enough for Al to see his eyes. A polite resignation shined back at Al.

"I was just wondering, since . . . well, I must've done something to make you so upset. . . ."

Numbness hit Al like a wrecking ball.

"I like Mei," Ed added, as though that fixed everything. "And I don't think anyone could've asked for a cuter daughter than Ming. I'm half-tempted to turn into Hughes and show off pictures of her at the office." Ed chuckled as he imagined himself annoying the hell out of Mustang with photos. "You've found yourself a great family."

"You didn't make me upset, Brother."

Ed's smile fell off, and he looked at Al, confused. Al's eyes brimmed with tears. He – he made him think it was _his_ fault?

"You didn't upset me, Brother. _I _upset me. I wasn't _good_ for you. And I hated that. I – I wanted you to be okay, and leaving was the only thing I could think of." Al said, the tears rolling down his cheeks.

Ed walked over to him and brushed his tears away. That only made the flow increase.

"Brother, I'm sorry I made you feel that way," Al sobbed, full-out crying now.

Ed enveloped Al in a hug and shushed him. "It's okay, Al. We're okay now."

Memories flashed in Al's head: Ed under him, begging, panting, moaning, gasping, _Al, oh, Al – AL_, having orgasm. Al shook his head. He pulled back and looked Ed in the eye.

He knew he shouldn't.

He pressed his lips against Ed's, twining his fingers into Ed's locks. A gasp escaped Ed's mouth just barely. Al darted his tongue out, tasting Ed's lips. Ed shuddered, and Al moaned quietly. He'd missed that taste.

Ed turned his head away. Al opened his eyes, shame already evident in his gaze.

"Al, we can't," Ed whispered. "You have Mei and Ming to take care of. And I want things to work with Heinrich."

Al bowed his head and released his grip on Ed's hair. He walked to the other side of the bed and continued packing. He could still hear and see – and now _taste_ – how it had been to fuck his brother.

"I'm sorry," Al whispered, looking up. He looked at Ed, but caught a glimpse of the person standing in the doorway. He didn't realize he gasped until Ed's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He reached out, almost as if to stop Ed from turning around. Ed looked over at the doorway, the color draining out of his face.

Hoenheim stood there, his fists shaking, his jaw taut. Anger pounded through his veins, pounded in his skull, pounded all rational thought out of his head – all thoughts on how he _shouldn't_ rip his youngest's heart out and pour his blood out into the sewer.

Neither Ed nor Al dared to say a word. The three of them stood there in a tense limbo, Al dripping with shame, Ed with fear, and Hoenheim with wrath.

Slowly, Al reached for his bag and, just as slowly, closed it. Cautiously, he dragged the bag off of the bed and grabbed the first bag. Ed hesitated, unsure about what he should do. Thumps and hurried words echoed from downstairs. Subconsciously, Al wetted his upper lip nervously, sucking in air as he tasted Ed. Despite the delicate situation, his body burned to touch Ed again – touch his hand, touch his lips, touch his ass, touch his crotch, touch him everywhere every way he could. His body burned to run his tongue over those lips, that neck, that chest, those abs, and lower. Like he did before he ran off. Like he did before he broke everything.

Al edged his way past Hoenheim like a frightened animal. Hoenheim took a deep breath, the smells of his sons filling his nostrils. The father gritted his teeth, and Trisha gave him a look.

_Smack_!

Al half hit the floor, half hit the steps, and he tumbled down them, landing at the bottom with a loud THUMP, the heavy bags CLUNK, THUMP, BUMP behind him. His jaw stung, and blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth and down his chin. The house fell into silence, Ed's gasp the only audible thing. Not even the infants cried. Everyone looked up the stairs at Hoenheim.

Hoenheim halted at the top of the stairs, glaring down at his youngest son.

Al picked himself up and wiped the blood off his chin.

"Get. Out." Hoenheim forced out, the shaking migrating to his arms.

"Daddy!" Ed shouted, then stopped himself. Hoenheim's eyes widened, and Al gasped. Ed diverted his gaze to the corner of the doorway. Hoenheim looked at Ed.

He hadn't called him "Daddy" since he was three-years-old.

Hoenheim sighed, pushed his hand under his glasses and covered his eyes.

"Just leave, Al," Hoenheim said, his anger dissipating.

Edward Elric really was a lot like his mother.

Al picked up his bags, not bothering to fake any smiles as he muttered goodbyes to Winry, Scar, and the others. Heinrich noticed the younger brother didn't say anything to him directly. Heinrich's jaw tightened; he had an idea of what happened upstairs.

Hoenheim turned around, entered his own bedroom – which was finally his again – collapsed onto the bed, and cried silently.

_God, why do you torture me – them – this way? _Trisha frowned at him, not approving of how he was taking care of their children no matter what he did. He couldn't protect Ed. He couldn't control Al. He couldn't control _himself_ around Al. The only one who could calm him down was Ed, and that wasn't a comfort. Someday Ed wasn't going to be around, and he would probably kill Al.

Good God, Al _was_ him. _He_ was just like _Al_ when he had met Trisha. He knew better than to let Trisha get involved with him. He would never die – illness would never destroy him and no one could kill him. She would wither away to nothing and leave him alone. They created two beautiful children, and he left her alone with them, with only some money coming in every few months. He didn't show up at her funeral, even though she meant so much to him. He didn't take care of their children when they needed him most, and look what happened because of it. Sweet little _Al_, the tiny gentleman – a prince even – of their family, became _him_, the monster who ruined the only good things that ever happened to him.

He left them, and Al grew up to be the one who led his little knight to ruin.

As the knight's father, it was his duty to take care of him, but how could he do that without becoming the knight's adversary? And the person Ed hated most?

The flow of Hoenheim's tears increased, and a small sob escaped his throat.

He didn't know what was worse: Al ruining their family, or him.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich knocked on Ed's door. The door squeaked open. He poked his head inside the room. Ed looked over his shoulder and smiled; he sat at his desk, writing on something.

"Hey," Ed said.

Heinrich smiled back. "How are you?"

Ed shrugged and went back to what he was writing on. Heinrich crossed the room, circled his arms around Ed's neck, and rested his chin on Ed's head, peering at the book.

"What're you wri - ?" Heinrich read one single sentence and gasped. _I just don't know what to think about Al kissing me today._ Ed quickly covered the handwritten paragraphs. A blush covered his cheeks.

"Just a diary." Ed said, as if that would divert Heinrich's attention.

Heinrich took a deep breath and relaxed. Calm down, Alfons. Calm down.

"Is that why your dad hit him?" Heinrich asked. Ed nodded, closing the book, the pen keeping his place. Ed turned around in his chair. Heinrich pulled back, resting his right hand on Ed's shoulder. He used his left hand to cup Ed's cheek. "How'd it happen?"

Ed shrugged, casting his gaze onto something other than Heinrich. "I guess it just did. I wasn't expecting it. He was upset, so I tried to make him feel better, and it just kind of happened."

Heinrich nodded. That sounded right; he knew Ed wouldn't hurt him on purpose. Besides, what kind of brother wouldn't want the younger one to feel okay?

"I love you," Heinrich said, trailing his hand into Ed's hair.

Ed opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat. Heinrich smiled painfully.

"I l- , I l- !" Ed scrunched up his face, frustrated. "Damn it."

"It's okay," Heinrich lied. "You'll get there."

Ed smiled and nodded. Heinrich chuckled.

"You're so cute," he said, leaning in. Ed met him half-way, and their lips locked. Ed brought his arms up, circling Heinrich's neck and running his fingers in his hair. Heinrich ran his hands down Ed's back, eliciting a groan. Heinrich's gasp morphed into a moan as Ed took some initiative and snuck his tongue into Heinrich's mouth.

Internally, the engineer smiled. Ed did love him. He might not be able to say it, yet. But he did. And that was all that really mattered.

Oh, he was still going to kill Al next time he saw him. But that could wait.

Ed pulled back momentarily. "Door's still open," Ed reminded, pointing carelessly in the door's general direction.

Heinrich looked over his shoulder at it, and an embarrassed blush graced his cheeks.

Poor Scar seemed to have caught him on his innocent trek to the bathroom. Ed snickered, then hoisted himself higher so he'd _have_ to cling to Heinrich in order not to hit the floor.

"Get used to it, _bodyguard_, because you'll probably be seeing a lot of it," Ed said smugly, kissing Heinrich's cheek.

"Could you possibly close that?" Heinrich asked.

Without a single change to those wide eyes or long face, Scar leaned across the hall, grabbed the doorknob, and shut the door with a resounding click. Heinrich looked back at Ed.

"Where were we?"

Ed smirked deviously at him and pulled himself up a few more inches. Heinrich squeaked as Ed's legs circled his waist. The alchemist nuzzled his nose into Heinrich's neck and pressed his lips to his flesh.

"_You_ were getting hot and bothered, and _I _was enjoying it immensely," Ed supplied. Heinrich's blush deepened as he realized that, yes indeed, he certainly _was_.

"And the plan with this is . . . ?" Heinrich said.

Ed lifted his mouth to Heinrich's ear. "Whatever you want," he whispered. Heinrich gasped, his body shivering.

"R-Really?" Heinrich said, a little ashamed he was getting so excited. Ed wasn't a _toy_, for God's sake.

"Really," Ed replied seductively. Not that he needed to.

Heinrich lay Ed on the bed and locked his lips with Ed's again. Ed gasped as the engineer's hand traveled to his nether regions.

_Zip._

On the other side of the door, Wendy raised an eyebrow at Scar, whose back was pressed against Ed's bedroom door. He looked as if he was in pain.

"Are you all right?" Wendy asked. Scar shook his head. "Is there something I can do?" Scar shook his head again. Edward walked up the stairs and stood behind his wife.

"What is it?" he asked, taking the baby from her. He looked at the strange tanned man, then look back at his wife. "What's with him?"

Scar shook his head again, then jumped as a rather unmistakable sound came from the room he was preventing entry to. He plugged his ears, the color draining from his face. Wendy and Edward paled, too.

"I know you're Ed's bodyguard and all," Wendy said, "but are you sure you need to put yourself through this?"

Scar shrugged, somewhat disappointed that he could still hear with his fingers in his ears.

"I'm sure no harm will come to Ed as long as he's with Alfons, so why don't you come downstairs with us – where we hopefully _can't_ hear them," Wendy said. Edward just stood next to her uselessly, eyes as wide as saucers and mouth a thin line.

Scar looked at her dubiously, but another pleasured sound made up his mind for him. He quickly stood up and led the way downstairs.

Winry smirked as they entered the kitchen. "It's worse down here. You'll want to be in the living room if you want to block them out," she said.

Scar immediately retreated into the living room. Edward gave Winry a scandalized look. Winry looked at him innocently.

"What?" she asked.

"Then what are _you _still sitting there for?" Edward demanded, more than a little disturbed. Winry grinned evilly.

"Perfect place to be if I want to know when to interrupt," Winry replied. "It's also nice to know Ed lets himself go sometimes."

Edward gawked at her, heard another noise that sounded oddly like Heinrich's voice, and quickly abandoned ship into the living room. Winry sniggered to herself. Living here was going to be fun.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Havoc stepped out of the prison cell and stretched his arms. A yawn escaped his mouth, and he scratched his head. Sheska smiled at him.

"I'm glad you're out, Lieutenant," Sheska said.

"Me, too," Havoc replied. Sheska held out a pack of cigarettes and Havoc's lighter. Havoc smirked and accepted them. He pulled out a cigarette, stuck it in his mouth, and lighted it. He sighed appreciatively as the acrid smell filled his nose. "Thanks, Sheska."

"Your welcome." Sheska said. They walked down the hall together. "What happened to get you in there in the first place?"

Havoc shook his head. "Not supposed to talk about it. I got off a lot easier than the Fuhrer was supposed to let me. We agreed that it was really in the best interest for everyone involved, but that still didn't mean everyone else would see that."

"Oh." Sheska looked down at the ground. "When is Colonel Mustang getting out?"

Havoc shrugged. "If he's not in there for at least a week, people will be suspicious. His involvement was an accident, but still. . . ." Havoc smirked. "But when he does get out, he's getting a promotion. So is Major Elric."

Sheska squealed. "Really? The colonel will be a brigadier general? And Edward will be a lieutenant colonel?" Havoc nodded. "That's great!"

Havoc realized something. "Hey, Sheska?"

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"You're really pretty when you smile like that."

Sheska blushed. Havoc turned red, too.

"Sorry, that was inappropriate," Havoc said; what possessed him to voice that?

"Thank you. Lieutenant." Sheska said. "It was sweet."

They both smirked. "The only other person to tell me that was Ed," they said in unison. They looked at each other, surprised. Then they smiled.

"You want to get a hot chocolate or something?" Havoc asked.

Sheska nodded. "That's be great, Lieutenant."

"Please, call me Jean."

"All right, Jean."


	20. Chapter 20

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Heinrich set his pencil down and held the paper up. He looked over the list he wrote, then handed it to Winry. Winry took it, skimmed over it, smirked, and nodded. She handed it back to him, and Heinrich smiled.

Edward kept giving his brother a disapproving look. Wendy decided to just ignore any uneasiness she had with Heinrich's and Ed's relationship.

Scar looked over Heinrich's shoulder, raising an eyebrow.

Hoenheim scowled, but didn't say anything.

"So, you think he'll like the idea?" Heinrich asked Winry for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

Winry winked at him. "Yep! Besides, you'll get to meet his teacher in Dublith. She's almost like a second mother to him, so she'll want to see if you're worthy."

Heinrich chuckled nervously. "Why does she sound frightening?"

Winry grinned evilly. "You have no idea."

Heinrich cleared his throat and looked back at the list. At the top of the page was its title: Vacation Plan. A woman – he thought she said her name was Sheska – called the house and said that Ed had approximately three months worth of vacation left before he had to return to work; she had hinted that they should make the most of it. So, Heinrich thought about how to help with Ed's therapy.

_Ed narrowed his eyes at Heinrich, the sky dark with heavy rain clouds. Not a single drop of rain cascaded down. Heinrich sighed exasperatedly. _

"_Ed, I'll come in as soon as it starts raining, I promise. Just let me finish with these couple of screws," Heinrich said, holding the screwdriver over his head. _

_Ed shook his head. Heinrich grunted, annoyed, and glanced over Ed's shoulder at Edward and Wendy. Wendy shrugged, a signal that she wasn't any help. Edward shook his head adamantly, not because he didn't want to help his brother, but the last time he did, Ed almost took his head off with an alchemized blade. _

"_In," Ed ordered. _

_Heinrich set his hands on his hips. "Ed, lightening isn't going to strike me out of no where. I'm fine!" _

_Ed gritted his teeth, a vein throbbing in his forehead. The alchemist marched across the yard to Heinrich, looking like he was planning on carrying Heinrich inside if he had to. He opened his mouth to say something. _

_BOOM! The thunder rumbled. _

_Ed jumped, an undignified squeak escaping his throat. Rain poured down on them in sheets. Ed hugged his arms, a faraway, fearful look in his eyes. _

_Heinrich's frustration and annoyance melted away with the rain. He quickly tossed the tarp over the airplane-in-progress, stuffed his tools unceremoniously into his bag, slung the bag over his shoulder, then slipped his left arm behind Ed's knees, pressed his right arm to Ed's back, picked him up bridal-style, and carried him back indoors. _

_BOOM! _

_Ed flinched and gripped Heinrich's shirt. _

_Edward and Wendy turned away from the scene. Heinrich carried Ed to the living room, sat on the couch, and pulled a blanket over them, ignoring how they were dripping water on the floor. _

_BOOM! A flash of lightening clashed against the window. _

_Ed whimpered and shut his eyes tight. _

_Heinrich frowned, wishing he could do more than hold him. _

The list proceeded as thus: Leore, Risembool, Dublith, Youswell. All four were towns that Ed knew people at, had at least some good memories in, and Heinrich had never heard of them before. It would be a great way to learn more about this dimension he was in, and it'd be good for Ed to take a trip down the good side of memory lane.

Heinrich folded up the list and pocketed it.

"When do you think I should ask him about it?" he asked, looking at Winry.

Winry opened her mouth to answer.

YELP! CLUNK, THUMP, CRICK!

Silence stretched out for a full five seconds before –

"A little help? Somebody?" called Ed's feeble voice.

Heinrich and Hoenheim bolted out of their chairs and hurried into the hallway. Scar followed suit, feeling like a little ridiculous.

Ed gripped the handrail for dear life, his body spread on the stairs awkwardly. His face twisted in pain.

"What happened?" Hoenheim asked.

Ed laughed embarrassedly. "Nothing, really. I just didn't . . . _stretch_ this morning when I really should've." Heinrich blushed heavily. Hoenheim glared at the engineer. "So could one of you help me up?"

Heinrich stepped forward, but Hoenheim threw his arm out in front of him. They glared at each other for a moment.

Scar hesitantly came over and pulled Ed up from the armpits. Ed grumbled a little, but otherwise did nothing to disapprove of him. Ed carefully walked down the rest of the steps, passed Hoenheim, and gave him a good annoyed kick in the shin – with his automail leg.

Hoenheim gritted his teeth, but otherwise did nothing.

Scar wondered what was wrong with this strange family.

Heinrich followed Ed into the kitchen, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry about that," Heinrich said. Ed looked over his shoulder as he filled up a glass of water.

"Nothing to worry about. Just been a while, is all," Ed said, taking a gulp from the glass.

Winry burst into giggles. Wendy started making loud doting sounds to David. Edward looked like he wanted to stuff screwdrivers into his ears just to keep from hearing this conversation. Scar looked confused.

Ed glared at Winry.

"Shut up," Ed said, throwing a dish towel at her.

Winry giggled harder.

"Oh, come on, Ed. You expected this from me!" she said, grinning.

Ed rolled his eyes. "Pervert," he muttered, pressing his glass to his lips. He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "You were always like that, weren't you?" He narrowed his eyes. "I mean, what the hell was with you wanting me to be your personal life-sized Barbie doll?"

Hoenheim raised an eyebrow and gave Winry a disturbed look. Winry just kept giggling.

"It's not my fault you looked cute in dresses," Winry said.

"You've never seen me in one." Ed said, eyes narrowing more.

Winry pulled out a photo album from her bag. She laid it on the table, flipped to a specific page, and turned it so Ed could see it properly.

"But Al has, and he gave me pictures."

Ed's face blanched.

"WHAT!?"

Ed grabbed the photo album and, indeed, the pictures were of an eight-year-old him in some of Trisha's really old clothes she had kept in case she had a little girl. Ed's eyebrow twitched, and he glared at Winry. Winry gave him a victory sign.

"You'd probably look even cuter now that you've grown your hair out," she said, grinning smugly.

Heinrich looked over Ed's shoulder at the pictures. He tilted his head to the side.

"She's right, you do look cute. But why were you wearing it?" Heinrich asked.

Ed blushed.

"Al made me. He said he'd tell Mom I was the one who broke the damn clock if I didn't, so I didn't really have a choice if I wanted to keep my hide. And he did those damn puppy dog eyes – that used to get me every time." Ed dropped the album back onto the table, crossed his arms, and glared at Winry. "She was the one who wanted to see it in the first place. Probably made a deal with him or something."

Winry shook her head adamantly.

"How old are you in these?" Heinrich asked, picking the album up to get a closer look.

"Eight," Winry said.

Heinrich turned the page. Immediately, a picture of Ed, Al, Winry, and who could only be Ed's mother caught his attention. The mother was cuddling all three of them, smiling at the camera. Winry held a puppy in her arms, and Ed and Al stood on either side of her. Al looked a lot like her.

"This your mother?" Heinrich asked, showing Ed the picture.

Ed glanced at it and smiled.

"Yeah. That's Mom."

Heinrich noticed the soft, far-away tone. He looked back at the picture and took in her soft features, her beautiful smile, and her wavy, red-tinted brown hair. Ed's grin in the picture was the brightest he had ever seen it.

He smiled.

"She's beautiful."

He wished he could meet her. She obviously meant a lot to Ed.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Izumi stared out of the window, her leg bouncing up and down. Sig patted her shoulder. Izumi sighed and stood up.

"Why do I feel so antsy?" Izumi asked, crossing her arms. "It's not like I haven't been getting enough exercise or anything."

Sig shrugged. "Do you think the doctor should take a look?"

Izumi shook her head. "This doesn't have anything to do with my physical well-being." She remembered the last time she felt this way. She knew it had to do with the Gate.

"_Edward?" Izumi asked. Ed stood on her doorstep, soaking wet yet not a drop fell from the sky. There was a drought in the area, too. She narrowed her eyes. Ed stared at her, serious. _

"_Sensei," Ed said breathlessly. "How would you like to help Al and me with something?" _

_Izumi crossed her arms. "What is it?" _

_She widened her eyes as a tall man with glasses and an ouroboros tattoo on his hand came up behind Ed. He draped his arm on Ed's shoulders, pulling the blond closer to him. _

"_You," Izumi breathed, not believing it. "What are you doing here!?" _

_Greed smirked. "Go ahead and say it: what am I doing with little Edward?" _

"_Don't call me little!" Ed snapped. Greed snickered. _

"_You're so cute when you're pissed," Greed retorted, his tone smooth and lusty. He leaned it close to Ed's face. Ed looked away from him. Greed smirked. _

"_He agreed to help," Ed said. "And I need all the help I can get." _

_Izumi glared at Greed. "What needs to be done so badly that you'd work with this pervert?" _

_Ed locked gazes with Izumi. "I need to save Al. And Amestris." Al always did come first, didn't he?_

She felt like this back when Ed had come to her for help in defeating the homunculi. But what could that possibly mean? They defeated the homunculi . . . didn't they?

~!#$%^&*()_+

The flaps of his royal robes flapped behind him as Ling ran down to the dungeons. Screams reverberated off the walls, and laughter mocked them. Ling gritted his teeth as he realized where the laughter was coming from.

The room where Ed had been electrocuted.

Ling slowed his pace, blood staining his shoes. His bodyguards trailed behind him, finally catching up to him. The corpses of the cell guards lay around him, their bodies torn to ribbons.

Ling hesitated, but he pushed the door to the room open. He swallowed hard as the door swung open.

The laughter halted as a child looked in Ling's direction. Black hair framed its face, familiar in everything but color. Gray eyes looked at Ling curiously, familiar in everything but color. Its mouth grinned at him, familiar in every way. Ling's jaw dropped.

"Hi!" the child said. "Who are you?"

"L-Ling Yao, the new emperor of Xing," Ling forced out, his body feeling numb.

"Ling? That's a nice name. I like mine better, though," the child replied, twisting its braid around its finger.

"And – and what is your name?" Ling asked, not believing his eyes.

The child's grin widened. "My name is Greed. Greed Elric."

~!#$%^&*()_+

Greed, the original Greed, the only homunculus to not perish in the final battle with the Elric family, furrowed his eyebrows. Something tugged at the back of his mind. Whatever it was, it was very annoying.

He walked down the streets of Ishbal, trying to get rid of it. He cast annoyed glances at everything and everyone, not caring that he scared the crap out of Ishbalan eight-year-olds and mothers. Ishbalan men glared at him. Greed rolled his eyes and continued down the streets.

He almost regretted saving this world's existence. But Greed still couldn't believe that single kiss had been worth so much trouble.

He couldn't believe he settled for just a kiss, either. He had _planned_ to ravish the then-nineteen-year-old Edward Elric after all that mess, but . . . .

_Gunshots and yells echoed behind him as he climbed up the hospital and slipped into Ed's room. He smirked as he closed the window behind him; Mustang and his flunkies weren't going to do anything that could hurt their precious Major Elric. _

_Ed narrowed his eyes at him, annoyed. _

"_Does it have to be now?" Ed grumbled. "My side's killing me." _

_Greed slid his sunglasses off and pocketed them. He linked his fingers together and put them behind his head. _

"_I didn't want to wait outside." _

_Ed rolled his eyes. Greed slinked over to Ed and snaked an arm around his waist. He brought his lips to Ed's neck and breathed appreciatively. _

"_It should be illegal for someone to be so . . . __**irresistible**__." Greed hissed. _

_Ed snorted. "You have weird turn-ons." _

_Greed raised an eyebrow, confused, then smirked. "Why do you say that?" _

_Ed sidled a skeptical glance at Greed. "What about me could possibly be attractive enough to have you want me?" _

_Greed's smirk disappeared. Ed turned both eyes onto him, the disbelief disturbingly evident. _

_Maybe because he realized Ed was a basket case – maybe because he didn't want to risk anything – maybe because he had a feeling that boyfriend of Ed's wasn't someone he wanted to really mess with – but Greed merely pressed his lips to Ed's and left. _

_Ed furrowed his eyebrows and called after him. "What about the deal?" _

_Greed looked over his shoulder and smirked. "I got what I wanted." _

Biggest lie he had ever told, that had been. Nicest thing he ever did, too. He wondered why he let Ed be the only one that got away. . . .

. . . . Because he gave a bit of a damn?

Greed sighed and finally parked himself in front of a random building; he couldn't tell if it was someone's house or a shop.

The feeling still bugged him. He furrowed his eyebrows, his sunglasses sliding down his nose. The feeling bothered him the more he thought of Edward. . . . His eyes widened as he realized that it had something to do with the blond . . . more specifically, with the Gate. But that was all over.

. . . .

. . . .

. . . . Right?


	21. Chapter 21

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Ling sat across from Greed Elric, a cold sweat running down his forehead. Greed Elric gulped down the tea the servants had set before him. The child's hands and clothes stained the cup with blood – blood from the cell guards. It grinned, showing off its frightful array of sharp teeth. It kicked its legs out, back and forth. Greed Elric stretched his tongue as far as it would go, trying to get every last drop of tea.

When satisfied, it set the cup down and gazed greedily at Ling.

"Is there more?" it asked.

"When the help comes back," Ling said numbly. "D-do you know how you ended up in my dungeon?"

It cocked its head to the side uncomprehendingly. Its eyes sparkled in recognition a few seconds later.

"Oh, that room I was in," it said, licking its lips – Ling hoped it was just to get more tea taste. "The electrical charge in combination with the alchemic build-up in my mother created an embryo of sorts for me. It's been hovering in the air since then. When I finally gathered enough energy, I let myself hatch."

Ling swallowed. "A-alchemic build-up? Your mother?"

Greed Elric nodded. "My mother was an alchemist. He gave someone a new body a long time ago, but at a price." It pointed at itself, its grin widening. "My creation. My soul has been living, but dormant, in Mother since the day Alphonse Elric was given his body back by the Gate."

Ling jumped when the door opened. In walked some servants, one with more tea, the others with food. Greed Elric clapped at the presence of tea; it surprised Ling when it said thank you. The servant blushed and told it your welcome, obviously won over already.

The servants exited, and Greed Elric eyed the food curiously.

"What is it?" Greed Elric asked.

Ling gulped down a mouthful of his own tea. "It's food. You eat it to keep yourself healthy."

"But that's humans. Do I need food?" it asked.

Ling shrugged. "Animals and plants need food, too, and they're not humans, so why not?"

It hummed thoughtfully, then popped a piece into its mouth. Ling had to admit, whatever it was, it was cute.

Then again, the cuteness could've been from the fact that Greed Elric looked just like Ed Elric, just with dark hair and eyes, was shorter, and had no automail.

Ling swallowed once more. "So why have you been born now? Why not when you were first . . . conceived?"

Greed Elric stuffed his face until his cheeks bulged out, and somehow managed to swallow it all without choking. Ling felt his disturbed meter drop a few degrees.

"I had no form. Homunculi must take some kind of form of sin before they can enter this world."

Ling furrowed his eyebrows. "That doesn't make any sense."

It shrugged. "It's been a rule since homunculi were first created. I'm a little special, though."

Ling leaned forward. "How so?"

Greed Elric grinned once more. "I'm not in the form of a greedy person. I'm in the form of someone everyone else wants. In other words, Mother."

Ling narrowed his eyes, confused.

"Not _that_ many people like Ed like that, do they?" Ling asked.

It laughed. It laughed long and hard, its voice echoing against the walls and through the doors, down the halls, and into other rooms. Ling leaned back into his chair, becoming more disturbed by the minute.

Greed Elric stopped abruptly and leered at Ling.

"You want Mother. Alfons Heinrich wants Mother. The original Greed wants Mother. Alphonse Elric wants Mother." Ling choked on what he was eating. "And that's just the people who have touched the scar I lay dormant against." Ling widened his eyes, not comprehending how this child could have possibly known his attraction to Ed. "Now that I'm born, I'll be able to tell what people want from Mother just by touching them."

It reached over the table for the teapot. It barely managed to grab it, but it was able to pull the container closer to him. It poured itself more tea, then tried to reach the sugar bowl.

"I like this stuff. What's it called?"

Ling diverted his gaze onto his plate, though no longer hungry.

"Tea. English Breakfast tea."

Greed Elric licked its lips again. "It's good." Ling swallowed hard, wondering exactly how much this – _thing_ knew. "Kind of tastes like Alfons Heinrich." Ling's head shot up, a fearful look in his eyes.

Greed Elric saw it and laughed.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed snuggled against Heinrich as the train barreled down the train tracks toward Leore. Heinrich smiled, a little uncomfortable. He glanced at the other passengers, nervous one of them would notice.

"Hey, you okay?" Ed asked, looking up at him.

Heinrich took a deep breath and ran a hand through Ed's hair. (Maybe they'd just think they were overly affectionate brothers. . . .) "I'm fine. So, who do you know who lives in Leore?"

Ed snorted. "Winry didn't tell you?" Heinrich shook his head. "I know a girl named Rose, and everyone pretty much knows me, since I revealed their prophet to be the conman that he was." Heinrich raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"Really?"

Ed nodded affirmatively.

"Al and I had gone there to investigate about the Philosopher's Stone. Upon further inspection, it looked like the prophet was using one. Rose was a loyal follower, and trying to convert us, she took us straight to him. The prophet had promised to resurrect her dead boyfriend. She's really sweet, just couldn't open her eyes to the fact that he was tricking her and everybody else." Ed grinned. "She and Winry hit it right off when they met. I wasn't there, but Al said it was kind of funny."

Heinrich made a thoughtful grunt, glancing at the other passengers nervously. Ed noticed and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Heinrich nodded. Ed shrugged, leaned away from Heinrich's shoulder, and gazed out the window, watching the scenery fly past.

Scar sat across from them, ignoring their cutesy couple stuff completely. There would only be so much of this he could take.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Knock, knock, knock. Pinako carefully set her wrench down as she crossed the work room, walked through the kitchen, and to the front door. Knock, knock, knock.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Pinako shouted as she turned the doorknob.

Her eyebrows flew up at the person on the doorstep.

A tall, dark man with sunglasses and an ouroboros tattoo on his hand stood there, his elbow pressing against the doorway.

"This the Rockbell residence?" he asked.

Pinako nodded. "Yes. We have all your automail needs."

The man narrowed his eyes, bored.

"Edward Elric lives here, right?" he said.

"Ed hasn't lived here for almost four years. But he will be coming for a visit, if you don't mind the wait."

The man groaned, but entered the house anyway. Pinako closed the door behind him.

"Who are you exactly, anyway? I thought all the homunculi perished three years ago." Pinako said.

The man halted and looked over his shoulder.

"I can tell from your tattoo. Edward said all of them had those."

The man smirked and pushed his sunglasses farther up his nose.

"Name's Greed. I guess you could say I'm an admiring acquaintance of Ed's." Greed pulled up a chair in the kitchen and sat in it backwards, draping his arms over the back. His eyes glazed over as he remembered when he first decided he wanted Ed. "When's he showing up?"

"In about a week."

Greed grunted agreeably. "Guess I'll wait here, then."

Pinako narrowed her eyes, not sure she liked this person.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Fuery stared down at the note. His shoulders slumped and his glasses slipped down his nose.

Ed, how could he give him such an impossible task while he was away?

And of all the people to give it to, in his moments of emotional and mental stress, he just _had_ to use _his_ romantic problems to make himself feel better.

Fuery sighed and read the note for the millionth time.

It read: Ask Riza Hawkeye Out.

Capital letters and all.

Fuery pocketed the note and took a deep breath. Okay. He was going to do this. He was. Really.

He strode nervously to Hawkeye's desk. He swallowed the frog that just jumped into his throat and stood at attention.

Hawkeye looked up from her papers, surprised.

"Hello, Master Sergeant Fuery."

"1st Lieutenant Hawkeye."

"Is there something you wanted to say to me?"

Fuery gulped.

"Yes, Lieutenant. I – I'd appreciate it if you didn't shoot at me when I finished. I – I'm aware this isn't really the appropriate place to bring this up," he glanced at everything around them, refusing to look at her. Eventually, he focused on the papers on her desk. "but I was wondering if you would like to go out with me sometime. O – on a date." Fuery closed his eyes and stood straighter. "Please forgive the inappropriateness!"

He squinted it eyes open slightly. Hawkeye stared at him, nonplussed.

"You're asking me for a date," she stated neutrally.

Fuery's face burned. "Yes, Lieutenant. I am."

She looked down at her papers and signed her name on the dotted line. Sweat rolled down Fuery's forehead.

"Would Saturday evening be all right for you, Master Sergeant?" Hawkeye said after several moments.

Fuery gasped. "Y-Yes! That's be perfect, Lieutenant! Thank you very much! Where would you like to meet?"

"That café Havoc takes Sheska to would be nice."

Fuery pushed his glasses farther up his nose.

"Havoc takes Sheska to cafés?"

Hawkeye smirked. "How about I pick you up and show you the way, in that case?"

"All right. Thank you, Lieutenant."

Hawkeye's expression softened. "No. Thank you, Kain."

Fuery blushed heavily.

From the crack in his office door, Mustang watched, a small smile twisting on his lips. By the looks of things, he was the only one alone. That was okay, though. Mustang stepped away from his door and sat behind his desk once more. His eyes landed momentarily on the one thing he refused to let anyone else see: a photograph of Gracia and Elysia. It was a recent picture, seeing that Elysia was eleven in it. Mustang sighed as he returned to his work.

He deserved to be alone if he could fall for his best friend's wife. Even if Hughes was long dead, he still deserved better than to have a back-stabber like him for a friend.


	22. Chapter 22

Red Roses2: By the way, Greed Elric is my original character, as are Ming Elric and David Heinrich.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

The train emptied out of all passengers except for Ed, Heinrich, and Scar one train stop away from Leore. Ed stood up and stretched. Scar took the opportunity to sit somewhere else. Heinrich pulled an arm across his chest. His back ached, and his ass felt numb from sitting for so long.

Ed cracked his neck, popping sounds breaking the self-induced silence.

"What made you so anxious earlier?" Ed asked casually, the train patiently waiting for other passengers.

Heinrich chuckled nervously. "It wasn't anything, really." He smiled at Ed. "This world just has different rules, and I don't know all of them yet."

Ed raised an eyebrow, then his eyes lit up in realization. "You were worried someone would say something about the cuddling."

Heinrich nodded, a pink blush flushing his cheeks.

Scar abruptly stood up and strode to the door.

Ed and Heinrich watched him go, curious expressions on their faces.

"Where're _you_ going?" Ed asked, clearly becoming used to Scar's presence.

Scar slid the door open as he spoke. "I'm not taking any chances."

With that, he closed the door behind him and escaped to a different car. Ed and Heinrich shared a look, and they both shrugged.

Ed sat next to Heinrich and kissed his cheek. He nuzzled his nose into the crook of Heinrich's neck.

"I don't know what it was like in Germany," Ed said, "but here it's pretty accepted by the general public. Almost two years ago the army changed it's "don't ask, don't tell" policy to a "who cares" policy." Ed gave a small, but sad, smile. "But still. . . I understand why you're concerned. . . ." Heinrich looked down at Ed, concern shining in his eyes. "I haven't told anyone outside of family and Winry. Mustang knows, but not because I told him." Ed chuckled. "That had been the scariest thing that ever happened to me in Mustang's office."

Heinrich rested his cheek on Ed's head.

"What happened?"

Ed snickered. "I practically wet myself, and I scolded myself on taking my diary to work." He rolled his eyes. "It had been a habit since I used to travel a lot. What Mustang was _doing_ looking through my stuff, I haven't a clue." Ed sniggered. "I think Hughes and Mustang thought I was going to go into anaphylactic shock from my hyperventilating. Their faces were funny, though. Colonel Mustang looked like _he_ was the one outed to his boss!"

Heinrich chuckled at the image. It was surprisingly easy to imagine the stern-looking colonel freaking out.

"I guess because of that, I'm not comfortable doing what every other gay military official did when the policy changed. But I think Mustang told Havoc, who's bound to tell Fuery, who can't keep his mouth shut around Falman and Breda, and Breda will probably tell his girlfriend, Maria Ross, who might tell her partner, Brosh, and Major Armstrong who's her boss and a sort-of friend of mine, and Hawkeye's pretty intuitive, so basically everyone I know will probably find out eventually."

Heinrich wrapped an arm around Ed's waist.

"I never told anyone about being gay, except for Mr. Hoenheim," Heinrich admitted. Ed's eyes widened in awe. "Where I'm from, the Nazi army would be bound to hunt me down and shoot me if everyone knew. Of course, I had a couple boyfriends, but there's only so long a secret relationship can last. One was caught by the Nazis and trapped in a concentration camp. Another was brave enough to have three boyfriends at once, including me – I decided he wasn't worth the danger. The one I had before you married a daughter of aristocracy and tried to keep me out of the loop. Needless to say, it didn't work." Heinrich looked down at Ed. "You?"

Ed grinned embarrassedly. "Eh heh. Well," his cheeks flushed an adorable red color. "My first crush was on Mustang, but he's as straight as a board. My first boyfriend was Al, and I practically had a stalker for a while." Ed waved it off at Heinrich's alarmed expression. "He hasn't been around for a while. Managed to get a kiss and disappeared. I have no idea where he is now."

Heinrich's eyebrows knitted together. "Who was he?"

"His name was Greed, and he was one of those homunculi I told you about."

Heinrich frowned and pulled Ed closer to him. Ed peered up at him curiously, then grinned slyly.

"Are you _jealous_?" Ed asked. Heinrich turned red. Ed laughed and pressed a kiss on his lips. "If anything, he's jealous of you." Heinrich gave him a skeptical look.

"Really?"

Ed nodded. "After all, you have the one thing he couldn't get."

Heinrich smirked to himself. "I do, don't I?" He brought a hand up and cupped Ed's cheek. "But you're not a thing. You're a person. Which means I only have you because you let me." Ed grinned, and his face turned bright red.

Heinrich pressed his lips against Ed's. Ed brought his arms up and circled them around Heinrich's neck. Heinrich's arms snaked around Ed's waist, pulling him closer until Ed was saddled in his lap. Neither was sure who was moaning when, their bodies were so close. Heinrich trailed kisses down to Ed's collar bone, where he gently raked his teeth across the skin. Ed gasped, face already quite flushed.

"He – Heinrich, we're on – on a train," Ed managed out breathlessly as Heinrich traced his hipbone with his thumb, bringing his hand to Ed's belt buckle.

"No one's on," Heinrich gasped back; indeed, the train began to move again, and no sign of anyone other than themselves was evident.

"W-what if Scar comes back in?" Ed questioned around a moan as Heinrich worked on giving him a hickey.

Heinrich smirked against Ed's skin. "I think this is why he left." He darted his tongue out, and Ed whined appreciatively.

Heinrich fiddled with Ed's belt buckle. A few moments later, a small _zip_ interjected itself into the symphony of pleasured sounds.

Ed let out a yelp, followed by heavy panting. Heinrich brought his lips farther up Ed's neck, using one hand to unzip his own jeans.

"_Heinrich_!"

The engineer covered the alchemist's mouth with his own, expertly slipping his tongue into Ed's mouth. Ed groaned around it, his flesh hand gripping Heinrich's hair.

Heinrich pulled away and said, in a heavily sensual voice, "How does oral sound?"

"W-what do you mean?" Ed moaned, completely distracted by what Heinrich's hand was doing in his jeans.

Heinrich nipped at Ed's ear.

"I'll show you," Heinrich breathed. He gently switched their positions, pressing Ed's back into the train seat. He slipped out of Ed's arms and knelt down, between his legs. Ed gave him a semi-confused/mostly-hazy look and –

"_AH! Heinrich!_"

Poor, poor Scar, sitting on the balcony-like area right outside the door, could hear the louder noises, most of which were from Ed. He plugged his ears, hoping the train whistle and the rumbling on the tracks would drown them out.

Scar was _really_ hating his job. He took out a small leather-bound book and opened it. A small pen was keeping his place, and he wrote down exactly what was happening. At the top of every page in the book was, in Winry's handwriting, the words "Report on the Edward Elric/Alfons Heinrich Relationship". Scar gritted his teeth whenever he heard something exceptionally loud and just wrote harder, the ink in the pen protesting by making too-dark marks.

_Decent when others are around, willing to perform baby-making ritual on train when no one is around._ Scar honestly didn't know what else to call it. Ishbalan religion frowned upon recreational sex, and Scar also didn't have any idea how two boys would be able to do it in the first place, but apparently it was possible.

He could handle the fact they were both boys. He could handle the cuddliness. But kissing and any sexual activity was strictly for married couples!

Scar knew he had to keep his opinions to himself – even Winry would admonish him – but it was still hard to swallow.

He had no idea that he thought of a really bad pun, he was that ignorant of exactly what they were doing in there.

"_ED!_"

That would be Heinrich's voice.

Scar buried his face into his book, scribbling "_Unclear as to submissive partner. Equivalent exchange?_"

~!#$%^&*()_+

Once they reached Leore, both Ed and Heinrich had goofy grins on their faces. Scar ignored it entirely. They hopped off the train and walked toward the desert town. Ed strolled ahead of them, occasionally glancing back at Heinrich questioningly. Heinrich gave an almost-leer, and Ed blushed. Scar wished he didn't have to remember this stuff for Winry, but his fiancé was adamant about it.

In the Ishbalan's honest opinion, he'd have to say that Ed was probably the more submissive one. Ed almost constantly looked to Heinrich for approval. Scar would even go as far as say that Ed looked at Heinrich like one would a god. Scar frowned as he thought about that. Humans weren't supposed to be worshipped. He supposed that, since Ed didn't believe in God, he had to look up to _someone_. But treating humans as deities led to ruin; all the stories Scar had been told as a child illustrated that.

He remembered one fairy tale his mother had told his brother and him.

_Once upon a time, when Ishbal was still discovering God, a young girl would go to the temple every day to pray to God. She was a good, honest child who always thought well of people. One day, a prince from a far-away land came to visit. The prince did not respect God and thought he could buy whatever he wished. The prince had been walking the street when he heard a scream. The girl who loved God had avoided stepping on an injured bird, but fell out the window. The prince, as a reflex, caught the girl, as she fell from above him. They gazed into each other's eyes, the girl convinced God had sent her a protector. The prince was overcome by her beauty, and decided he would marry this girl. The girl thanked him for saving her, and offered to take him to the temple so she could thank God for sending him to her. He shrugged off her offer and asked if she would come with him to travel the world and become his bride. She didn't want to seem ungrateful, so she went with him. That night, she prayed to God, hoping he would hear her thanks. _

_As time passed, the girl fell out of his devotion to God and began to worship the prince as though he were God. He had rescued her from poverty and had saved her from what had been sure to be a fatal fall. She stopped praying to God and gave all her attention to the prince. _

_The prince, meanwhile, was falling out of love with the girl and was looking for a new wife. But no woman would look twice at him. He thought it was because he already had a wife. So one night, as the girl slept, the prince took a knife and stabbed her. The girl screamed, and when she discovered it was her prince who hurt her, begged him, "why? I love you!" The prince said nothing and ended her life. _

_Because she strayed from God, she did not go to Heaven. She wandered in the realm of Limbo to atone for her betrayal. She didn't understand how she could have been so blind as to turn her back on God. _

His brother, as they grew older, became skeptical as to the truth of the supernatural fate of the young girl in the story, but Scar believed every word of it. Replacing God brought nothing but pain and suffering.

So why did Ed look so happy?

"Hey!" Ed called out, waving at an old man in a clay refreshment stand.

The old man looked up, and his eyes widened in recognition.

"Edward! Hey, everyone! Edward Elric's here!"

Commotion surrounded them, and it looked as though the entire town came to the square to see Ed. A blur of brown and pink ran up and tackle-hugged Ed.

"Ed! It's been so long!" the blur said, no longer a blur, but a beautiful young woman.

"Nice to see you too, Rose!" Ed turned back to Heinrich and Scar. "Rose, this is my friend, Alfons Heinrich, and this is Scar, Winry's fiancé and currently my bodyguard." Ed lifted his hand up to try to block the sound waves from moving in Scar's direction. "Wasn't my idea to bring him, but General Miles insisted."

Rose smiled brightly at them. Actually, the entire town smiled brightly at them. "Nice to meet you!" they chorused.

Scar stared blankly at them, a little disturbed; from Heinrich's nervous laugh, it looked like he wasn't alone.

The old man soon supplied them with drinks, Scar with water, Heinrich and Ed with juice. The man joked about giving Ed alcohol, and Ed laughed.

"Of age or not, I'm never touching that stuff," Ed said. He turned to Rose. "So, what have you been doing?"

Rose smiled slyly at him. "Guess!"

Ed looked up at the sky, trying to think of something. "I give up. What?"

"I'm a priestess now!"

Ed's eyebrows flew up, as did Heinrich's and Scar's. Heinrich and Scar shared a look: he has religious friends?

"What religion?" Ed asked, an uneasy smile on his face. "It's not that Leto the Sun god stuff again, is it?"

Rose laughed. "Oh no, Leore is way past that. We've just adopted the religion of Ishbal."

Scar's eyes widened, and he leaned forward to get a better look at her.

"Really?" Ed said. "Good, you can take this guy off my hands for a while. He used to be an Ishbalan priest before the war."

Scar narrowed his eyes at Ed. "You do a perfectly good job at ignoring me while I'm here, so why make me leave?"

Ed glared at him. Heinrich laughed.

"Do you really want us to answer that question?" Heinrich asked.

At the mention of "us", Scar paled and straightened up. "No, I'm fine." Scar hastily said.

Heinrich and Ed shared a look and burst out laughing. Scar turned a bright red color.


	23. Chapter 23

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

His body shook. His blood pounded in his veins. His teeth grinded together. His hands fisted.

_Why couldn't he explain to himself why he felt so angry_?

"Dad? Are you okay?" Ed's voice fluttered out of the phone, not sounding overtly concerned.

Hoenheim tried to calm himself, but the giggly tone kept putting him off.

The trip was supposed to cheer Ed up. That was its purpose. There was no other reason for it.

_So why was the obvious happiness pissing him off so much_?

"I'm fine, Edward," he forced out. "How was the train ride?"

He could _hear_ the blush and embarrassed grin.

"It was _invigorating_, but I think Scar would disagree." A delighted snicker. Hoenheim bit down on his tongue, the metallic taste of blood floating to his taste buds.

"And Leore?"

"It's come a long way since I was last here! Rose is a priestess now, and the economic situation has improved tremendously! The train stop is proof enough of that – remember when you needed a cab to drive there from the train station?"

"Yes, I do remember that."

"Oh, and the phone I'm using is in the inn!"

Hoenheim's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'm really impressed with how much they've changed. A couple of the villagers have even moved to other cities to learn alchemy, and they'll come back and form an alchemy academy here!"

"That's quite remarkable of them. I've never heard of a proper alchemy education."

"I know! At this rate, they'll be recognized as something more than 'just a desert village'."

Hoenheim's smile disappeared as soon as it spread at the sound of Heinrich's voice. "Ed, the party Rose invited us to is starting soon. Are you ready yet?"

Ed must not have bothered to cover his receiver. "Almost! Dad, I've got to – _ah!_"

The light flashed off of Hoenheim's glasses as they slid down his nose.

"Heinrich!"

"What?"

"Wait until I've hung up first!"

Gleeful chuckles, unmistakably Heinrich's voice. All Hoenheim could see was red.

"Bye, Dad," Ed said hastily.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?" The impatience didn't go unnoticed.

"Be careful."

"Okay, fine." It was painfully obvious Ed didn't pick up on what he meant. "Bye."

"Goodbye," Hoenheim whispered, hearing the click before he could say anything. He slowly set the phone back onto its stand and buried his face into his hands.

Ed was a grown man, and there wasn't anything he could do about his relationship with Heinrich. He just wished they weren't going so fast.

If Heinrich ever hurt Ed, Hoenheim would personally see to it that the German die a slow and painful death.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Scar stood awkwardly in the corner. Rose was teaching Ed how to dance to the Leorean music, and Heinrich watched with a smile on his face. Voices and laughter and the chinking of plates and glasses carried across the room and up to the ceiling and back down again. The stars shone down on them, and the crescent moon smiled at them; the sky couldn't have been clearer had the sun been up.

Scar couldn't hear what Rose and Ed were saying, but he almost envied their grins and laughter. Rose held onto Ed's hands, pulling him this way and that way. She raised their right arms, and Ed took the hint and twirled. As he did so, Rose glanced in Heinrich's direction, a curious knowing look in her eyes. Heinrich blushed slightly and grinned nervously back.

Scar took out his notebook and wrote a few more sentences down. He paused and looked back up at Ed. His gaze drifted onto Heinrich.

Part of him wondered why he cared so much.

Rose laughed as Ed messed up a step and played it off by letting go of her and dancing solo for a moment.

Scar's face burned and he hid his eyes behind his notebook. He glanced at Heinrich and noticed the awe-struck expression, dropped jaw, and heavy blush. The German couldn't take his eyes off Ed.

Rose couldn't stop giggling. "Where did you learn to do that?" she asked, a light blush on her own cheeks.

Ed looked back at her innocently. "Didn't learn it. When Al, Winry, and I were kids, Winry would trick me and Al into dancing at festivities like this, and I just did whatever I felt like. Got a lot of laughs sometimes for some reason. . . . Why?"

"No reason. Just thought it might be something you picked up at Central."

Ed shook his head and sidled back over to her. Scar lifted his head, not understanding the obliviousness the alchemist had as to how . . . inappropriate that had been.

He supposed no one told him when he was a child, and it probably looked hysterical back then but now . . . it was like he was a walking sex symbol or something. (Of course, his opinion of overtly sexual was completely different from, say, Winry's. Winry probably would've categorized it as sexy but acceptable.) Ed certainly grew into those hip movements. . . .

Scar shook his head, ridding himself of impure thoughts. He looked at Heinrich again, who looked like he desperately wanted Ed to start dancing like that again.

Rose turned to Heinrich. "Don't you want to join?" she asked.

Heinrich snapped out of his daze and turned a deeper red.

"I'm _really_ bad at dancing," he said, holding his hands up as a defense.

Ed rolled his eyes. "Hey, I'm not that good either – " Rose giggled, Scar gave him a incredulous look, and Heinrich balked, "but I got out here. Besides, you'll never get better if you don't practice!"

Heinrich muttered something that quickly became inaudible as Ed walked up to him and touched his arm with his flesh hand.

"Please?" Ed said, looking up at him adoringly.

Heinrich's face flushed even more, and his resistance crumbled as though it were a wall that had been blown to pieces.

"Okay," he replied weakly, letting Ed drag him onto the "dance floor" – it was really just an area of open space surrounded by tables.

Rose drifted away from them, Heinrich quickly becoming mesmerized by Ed's movements. She stood next to Scar. Scar looked up at her inquiringly.

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself," Rose stated.

Scar looked back at Ed and Heinrich, then quickly diverted his eyes back to his book.

"You said your town was adopting the religion of Ishbal," Scar said. Rose nodded. "Then you know that alchemy and inappropriate behavior is frowned upon." Rose looked back at the dance floor and smiled. "I know. But I also know it's pointless to force my opinions on Ed. It's best just to smile and let him do what he wants. And in his defense, I don't think he realizes it's a little . . . sexual." She looked back at him. "He's a smart boy, but he tends to be oblivious about how attractive he really is and things like that." Her smile lost its happiness, and she looked at him almost desperately. "Heinrich – is he Ed's boyfriend?"

Scar nodded.

"How does he treat Ed?"

Scar looked at her, and moonlight reflected off of her concern into his own heart.

"I haven't watched them for very long. A few weeks at most. As far as I can tell, Heinrich is a normal boyfriend." He narrowed his eyes. "But you're right to be concerned." Rose's smile melted into a frown. "I don't know the details, but something happened before with someone Edward cared for deeply, and he hasn't really been the same since. I think it had something to do with his brother, but I'm not sure. . . ."

"Something . . . to do with Alphonse?"

Scar nodded.

Rose looked out at the couple. She held her hands together and brought them to her chest level. Scar's eyebrows climbed up his forehead as he watched her pray for Ed.

"God, please protect Ed's heart. He's like a brother to me, and he has done so much to help others. I know he doesn't believe in you, but you are just and I know you will forgive him. Amen."

Scar looked up at the sky, not seeing the scenery but looking beyond. He closed his own eyes.

"God, please let Edward Elric find his happiness. It's integral to the happiness of so many others. Amen."

~!#$%^&*()_+

A wrench flew through the air and clocked Greed upside the head. Greed choked and glared over his shoulder.

"What the hell, woman!?"

Pinako glared back. "This isn't your house! Stop drinking milk out of the carton!"

Greed rolled his eyes, gulped down a few more mouthfuls of milk, then set the carton back in the refrigerator. He pushed the door closed, slipped his hands into his pockets, and strolled across the kitchen.

"Sheesh, lighten up, lady."

Both of them couldn't wait until Ed showed up – Pinako wouldn't have to deal with him, and Greed wouldn't have to spend another moment around her.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ling sobbed into his hand. He hugged his knees to his chest. A hand gripped his shoulder and a mouth reached his ear.

"What's the matter?" asked Greed Elric. "This is what you want, isn't it?"

Ling glared at Greed Elric, forcing himself not to falter in the face of those golden eyes.

"You're not Ed. You just look like him." Ling spat out.

Greed Elric gave him a dubious look, then let go of his shoulder. Its hair reverted back to black, its eyes back to gray, its clothes back to the black Xingese robes Ling had given it. It stood up and crossed its arms.

"What does it matter if I am not him? What you want is what he looks like, isn't it?" Greed Elric asked. "I know how to act like him. I lived _in_ him, after all."

Ling stood up and hardened his glare. "You are _not_ him, so if I really do want him, I'd never be able to replace him with _you_."

Greed Elric rolled its eyes. "So you're content with sitting on the sidelines, completely alone?"

Ling blanched. Greed Elric grinned manically. Jackpot.

Ling began to tremble, and he fell down onto the bed again. Greed Elric touched Ling's hand, and he transformed into an exact copy of Edward Elric.

"If you're afraid of what others think, no one has to know." Said in a perfect imitation of Ed's voice, but soft, sensual. Deceptive. "It will stay between just us." The sadistic grin widened. "I know what you want to do to this body. It's burning inside you, eating you from within." Ling gritted his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut. "You want to touch it, kiss it, ravish it. You want to hear your name screamed in his voice. You want his pants and moans ringing in your ears as you pleasure it."

Ling shook his head.

"You can't lie to me. I know what you want. And so do you."

Ling tried to pull away as Greed Elric pressed its lips against his, but it gave a manipulating moan, and he broke. He eagerly accepted its gift, pretending he couldn't feel the grin against his lips.

Was this what he really wanted? Or what it wanted? And what would it do when surrounded by other people? Would it act the same with everyone else? Or just anyone else who liked Ed?

And what did it mean when it said Alphonse Elric wanted Ed? Were the two brothers really former lovers?

Ling kicked Greed Elric right in the solar plexus. Greed Elric flew across the room and landed with a resounding thud on the floor. It winced in pain, his appearance back to his original one.

"Get out!" Ling shouted. "I want you to get out!"

As if he said a magic word, Greed Elric did exactly as he said.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Fuhrer Armstrong and General Miles sat in the Fuhrer's office. Fuhrer Armstrong scanned the invitation to resume an affiliation with Xing. She looked at General Miles.

"What do you think?" she asked.

General Miles sat up straighter.

"I think Emperor Ling Yao is a reputable and honorable young man. He will respect this country and our people, unlike his predecessor."

Fuhrer Armstrong rested her chin on her hand. "Because he wants to unite our countries or because he wants to keep his connections to his family open?"

General Miles bowed his head. "I have no answer to that, Fuhrer."

She folded the invitation and pocketed it. "I'll announce my decision on Monday. In the meantime, could you check on Mustang and Havoc? I still don't buy their story."

"With all due respect, why let them out if that is the case?" Miles asked.

Fuhrer Armstrong smirked. "It was in our favor, more than Havoc and Mustang realize. They did it because they were blinded by their concern for Fullmetal. I would have deployed someone to exterminate that rat sooner or later to protect this country. They saved us a war."

General Miles nodded.

"While you're checking on them, see if you can find out when Fullmetal is returning from his 'therapeutic' trip."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And General?"

"Fuhrer?"

"When were you planning on telling me your wife passed away?"

Miles froze, his expression hidden by his sunglasses. Silence hung in the office for a long time.

Slowly, he said, "How did you find out?"

"They were checking all the paperwork, and you have been checkmarking the "widow" box on your marital status."

Miles bowed his head.

"I didn't think it would be of consequence to the military."

"It's not."

Miles knitted his eyebrows together.

"How did she die?" Fuhrer Armstrong asked.

Miles took a deep breath. "She had cancer for quite some time. It was diagnosed a little while after we were married. It got her in the end."

"That would be why you two never had children."

Miles nodded. "We were concerned the child would develop the cancer."

Fuhrer Armstrong nodded. The silence stretched for a long time, for she wasn't the type of person to express sympathy and he didn't want it, and they both knew it.

"You're dismissed," she finally said.

Miles stood up, saluted her, bowed, and walked out.

The Fuhrer ignored the small pang in her chest as she went over more paperwork.


	24. Chapter 24

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Greed Elric peered up at Ling from its fetal position on the floor. Ling sighed.

"Get up," Ling grumbled as he walked past it.

Greed Elric jumped up immediately and followed him down the hall. Ling pushed the doors open, and servants bowed left and right, wishing him a good day in unison. Ling nodded absentmindedly at them.

"Can someone get a phone and put it in connection to Fuhrer Armstrong?" Ling asked.

A servant confirmed his request and disappeared to fetch a phone.

"I also need a camera," Ling said.

Another servant disappeared after the first one.

"When they show back up, tell them I'm in my office," Ling added as he continued walking in that direction.

Greed Elric kept two steps away from him. It reached out for Ling's arm, but Ling hurried his pace. Greed Elric narrowed its eyes, but said nothing.

Ling reached his office and plopped himself in his seat.

"When I get the camera, I want you to strip," Ling said.

Greed Elric shrugged. "Okay."

"But just enough so I can find your tattoo," Ling continued quickly. Greed Elric rolled its eyes.

"In that case," Greed Elric said, unbuttoning its jacket and tossing it onto a spare chair. It slipped off the white shirt under it, faced its back to Ling, and pulled its slacks farther down its hips.

The ouroboros tattoo glared back at Ling, clear against the pale skin on the small of its back.

The servants returned, both thrown slightly off-kilter at the sight of a half-naked child in their emperor's office.

Ling held his hand out for the camera and phone. Without a word, the servants gave their respected objects to him. He muttered a thank-you, took a close-up picture of the ouroboros tattoo, then a picture of Greed Elric as a whole, one from the back to prove the tattoo was on its person and one from the front to get the Edward-esque traits.

The pictures printed out of the camera, and Ling set them to the side to develop.

"You can dress yourself now," Ling muttered, pulling the phone closer and dialing the Amestrian area-code, then the Fuhrer's number.

Ling tapped his finger to the dial tone, his mouth turning into a thin, frustrated line.

Greed Elric made no move to put its white shirt back on, but it snaked its arms into its black jacket, leaving it unbuttoned. Ling was struck by the idea that the alchemic product could easily be pedophile bait. He shook that thought out of his head once someone picked up.

"Amestrian Military. Who may we dispatch you to?"

"Emperor Ling Yao from Xing speaking. I'd like to contact Fuhrer Armstrong. It involves the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Just a moment, please."

Ling knew that meant he'd have to wait at least ten minutes until they deemed his call worthy. Fuhrer Armstrong was a very private woman and didn't like to be disturbed, even if – no, _especially_ if it was other countries that disturbed her.

Greed Elric hopped into a chair, hugging one knee to its chest, and leered at him. Ling diverted his eyes from its face.

"Fuhrer speaking."

"Fuhrer, I know that this may complicate the negotiations we've been having, but a problem has arisen here, and I think it involves that homunculi business the Fullmetal Alchemist dealt with."

Her interested tone was good news. "Fullmetal wasn't the only one involved, but I get your point. There was a rumor that a homunculus had escaped - ."

"No, this one isn't that one," Ling interrupted. "It was created in my dungeon."

Fuhrer Armstrong didn't say anything for a few moments. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. It killed many of my guards. It says its birth was the result of alchemic build-up in Edward Elric and the electrical charge that his electrocution caused. When I ask it about Edward, it calls him 'Mother'."

"And you're sure it's a homunculus?"

"I have pictures of the tattoo and homunculus that I can send you immediately."

She thought for a moment. "It'll be better if you can come over here and bring it. It can be under the pretense of discussing our alliance."

Ling nodded. "All right. But I haven't contacted anyone else about it. The Elric family has no idea that this thing is here. . . . I don't think Ed had any idea it was living inside him for – ," Ling didn't bother to cover the receiver, "how long did you say it was?"

Greed Elric's smirk widened. "Three years."

"Three years," Ling repeated.

Ling heard a thoughtful hum on the Fuhrer's end.

"What is its name?" she asked.

Ling looked at Greed Elric hard. It pushed its shoulders into the back of the chair and grinned.

"It calls itself Greed Elric. It has the ability to turn into any person that someone desires by touching the person who desires them."

A snort came from the other end. "Sounds more like Lust to me."

Ling shook his head. "It'll do anything to get you what you want, as long as you say 'I want'."

"Can you give an example?"

"I wanted it to leave the room last night, and it did so without hesitation. I told it I wanted it not hurting anyone, and except for the cell guards it murdered, it hasn't so much as touched anyone else." Ling leaned back in his chair. "It doesn't respond nearly as well to the term "I don't want". It gives people strange looks when they say that."

He could practically hear her nod. "Is a meeting in two weeks soon enough?"

"I think so. Thank you very much, Fuhrer."

"See you two weeks from now, Emperor."

They hung up in unison, though unaware they did.

Ling pointed a finger at Greed Elric.

"I want you to behave yourself." It nodded. "I want you not to touch anyone unless asked. That includes me. I want you not to talk to any of the soldiers from Amestris when we go. Overall, I want you to stay away from Edward. Understand?"

It nodded again. Ling waved him away, but Greed Elric didn't move. He glared at him.

"I want you to leave!"

Instantly, Greed Elric left. Ling ran his hands through his hair, not caring that some strands caught on his fingers and snapped and ripped. He took a deep breath, then called out for one of his servants.

"Go get something with lots of caffeine and sugar. I don't care what it is."

The servant disappeared with a "yes, emperor", and Ling allowed himself the pleasure of bashing his skull into his desk repeatedly.

This Greed was going to be the end of him.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Scar furiously ignored the blatant disregard for the Ishbalan rejection of alchemy. These Leoreans _say_ they're adopting the religion of Ishbal, but they welcome alchemy so openly. It boiled his blood, but he kept his mouth shut. Even if he did say anything, Ed would just as furiously defend the Leoreans right to take what they like and what they don't like from an almost dead religion. As much as that statement would be the truth, Scar would still throttle the Amestrian, and that would cause problems for him, with both the state and Winry.

The image of an angry Winry kept him in line.

Ed crouched on the ground, showing Rose and a few of the village children some alchemy circles. Heinrich joked about them being heathen circles that will make the devil rise from his sanctuary, successfully infuriating Ed to no end.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, ALFONS!" The first time Ed called him by his first name.

Heinrich smiled.

The children and Rose laughed as Ed finally gave up and started chasing Heinrich around the village, yelling something about him being a "crazy German with no appreciation for alchemy". Scar watched, appreciating Heinrich's jokes more than he thought he should have.

Though it was obvious Heinrich had no convictions against alchemy, it felt good to know there was someone who shared his skepticism about it.

They didn't stop running around until Ed started coughing – a hacking cough that literally came out of nowhere. Ed's body shook with each cough.

Heinrich touched his shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Ed gave one last cough. "I think so. Must've been the sand." His voice sounded normal.

Heinrich smiled worriedly. "Yeah. I guess so." He didn't look convinced, though.

Heinrich gently led Ed back to Rose and Scar, under the shade.

Scar focused on the worried expression on Heinrich's face, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration.

Why did he look like he knew exactly what was going on?

~!#$%^&*()_+

Al smiled as Mei blew out the candles for Ming. Fu and Ran Fan clapped, the grandfather giving an uncharacteristic grin. Ran Fan sent Al a proud smile. Al nodded and lifted his little girl into his arms.

Ming gurgled happily. Her eyes reminded Al of Ed, ironically.

Al wondered if someone way up there was punishing him. Probably so. Part of him couldn't bring himself to care.

It took him a while, but he really did think he had the cutest little girl in the entire world.

He glanced at the calendar. When Ed came back in a couple weeks, he'd be able to tell him all about his niece's first birthday party.

He forced a wider smile and lifted Ming into the air.

"Who's a happy birthday girl? You are! Yes, you are!" Al cooed.

Ming shrieked in happiness.

Maybe things would turn out for the better after all.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Edward and Wendy Heinrich sat down across from Hoenheim. Hoenheim looked up from his newspaper.

"Is something the matter?" Hoenheim asked.

Wendy held David in her arms. She smiled warmly at Hoenheim, but he had the feeling they were going to give him some unexpected news.

"Wendy and I have been saving up," Edward started, "and we've decided that this is the time to move out. We'll call as soon as Alfons returns and inform him of it ourselves, but for the time being, we'll be staying in a flat not too far from here."

"It's actually between this house and Al Elric's house," Wendy added. "I hope you don't mind the sudden decision."

Hoenheim shook his head. "No, not at all. It's just a surprise. Would you like me to call Ed in Leore so you can inform your brother?"

Edward shook his head. "Nah. We'll tell him on our own. We'll move out tomorrow, all right?"

Hoenheim pushed his glasses farther up his nose. "Suit yourself."

Edward smiled, melancholy. "Thank you."

Hoenheim shrugged his shoulders and muttered a "no problem."

The married couple passed Winry in the hall. Winry smiled at them and held her hand out.

"It was nice to meet you two," she said.

Wendy took her hand and smiled back. "And we you! I had never heard of a woman being so independent before I met you!"

Winry looked aghast. "_What_? Then you haven't been to Ed's work. There's plenty of women more independent than me! I'm still living with my grandmother. And Ed's alchemy teacher is much more independent!" Winry continued on like this. Edward rolled his eyes and walked up the stairs back to the guest room. This sounded like the perfect world for those feminists. Not that he had anything against them. . . .

Edward collapsed onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He glared up at it as he remembered how his life used to be – no complicated little-brother-dating-exact-replica-of-him issues, no weird alchemy stuff that he still didn't believe in, no peculiar family situations. Everything used to be normal.

Sure, it was likely that he and Wendy would have been shot and imprisoned and tortured and dead, but things would have been normal. He'd know what to expect.

He wouldn't feel so depressed.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed coughed again, his entire torso shuddering. Heinrich pressed a hand to his forehead, but Ed shook it off.

"I'm fine!" he insisted, smiling at him. "I probably just caught a cold. No big deal."

Heinrich forced a smile of his own. "Right. That must be it."

Ed looked out of the train window. "I wonder how Auntie Pinako's doing."

Scar watched as Heinrich pretended everything was all right. He narrowed his eyes and wrote in his notebook.

_Ed has cough. Heinrich strangely concerned. Knows how he caught it?_

"What are you writing in that thing, anyway?" Ed asked, glancing at it.

Scar turned red and pulled the book closer to him. Ed raised an eyebrow, then an evil glint flashed in his eye.

"You don't want us to see it?" Ed said, a sly grin on his face.

Scar gulped. They stared each other down, then both made their move; Scar jumped completely out of his seat and Ed lunged at him. Ed climbed over the chair and chased Scar, the Ishbalan running to the exit. Ed reached the exit soon after him, pulled the door back far –

And closed it with a slam. He looked over his shoulder at Heinrich, a proud smirk on his face.

Heinrich stared, confused, until he blushed and grinned embarrassedly.

"That was mean, Ed."

Ed strutted down the isle back to him and leaned on Heinrich's train seat. Heinrich was willing to bet Ed didn't know exactly how sexy that looked.

"Now that he's gone, and since no one else is here, what do you propose we do?" Ed asked, resting his chin in his palm.

Heinrich smirked, knowing exactly what Ed had in mind. He pulled the alchemist into his lap and pressed a kiss on his lips.

"The question isn't 'what' but 'how'." Heinrich whispered. Ed giggled.

Scar, meanwhile, realized he had been duped and wandered to a completely different car. There wouldn't be any stops between Leore and Risembool, and no one went from one to the other, so it was safe for Scar to assume Ed and Heinrich would be uninterrupted for a _long_ time and there was no sense in camping out outside of the cars. He made himself comfortable and took out his little book again, writing down what the happy couple was up to now.


	25. Chapter 25

Red Roses2: Exactly eight pages. That's a new record for this story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

The train pulled into Risembool, and Scar practically hopped off as it was still slowing to a stop. Ed hung off of Heinrich's arm, grinning like a maniac. Heinrich smiled, his cheeks tinged pink. He muttered something about people seeing, and Ed retorted by saying this was his hometown and he wanted everyone to know how lucky he was. Heinrich's blush deepened, and he let Ed hang off him. Scar scribbled down a few more sentences and set out towards Pinako's house.

The smells of the countryside blew around them, tickling their noses and enticing Heinrich's curiosity. The sounds of baying sheep carried across the air from the fields. The green fields contrasted drastically with Central and Leore.

"It's beautiful," Heinrich said. Ed smiled embarrassedly.

"Really? There's not much to do here, though. . . ."

"That's good sometimes," Heinrich added.

Scar wondered exactly how long they'd be able to keep up the lovey-dovey moments.

The sounds of shoes scuffing against the dirt road rang sharply in Scar's ears. The Ishbalan glanced in the direction, and his eyes widened at the familiar sight.

A smug grin flashed back at him.

"Well, well. If it isn't Edward Elric."

Ed's smile flipped into a frown, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Ed snapped, resting a hand on his hip.

Heinrich knitted his eyebrows together as he looked over the man before them; he took in the vest with the fur lining, the sunglasses, and the leather.

The man strode closer to them, but Scar threw his arm out to block him. Heinrich blinked, and the man twisted Scar's arm behind his back. Scar gritted his teeth. The man's grin widened.

"You know better than that, Ishbalan," the man admonished as he pushed Scar away from him.

Scar lost his balance and hit the dirt.

The man walked up to Heinrich and Ed, not paying the German the slightest bit of attention.

"It's been a long time, Edward," the man said, his voice softer.

Ed hooked his arm with Heinrich's and gave the man a look.

"Yeah, I guess. What do you want, Greed?"

Heinrich's eyes widened as he remembered where he'd heard Ed mention a Greed before. _And I practically had a stalker for a while. Managed to get a kiss and disappeared. His name was Greed, and he was one of those homunculi I told you about. _

Greed brought a hand up, leaned forward, and lifted Ed's chin up with his index knuckle. Heinrich twitched and glared at him, but wasn't sure what he should do about it; Ed literally had an iron grip on his arm.

"You know _exactly_ what I want . . . but I'll settle with checking up on you." Greed said. He let his hand drop. Ed smirked.

"You're awfully generous when it comes to me," Ed said. Greed straightened up and shrugged.

The homunculus finally looked in Heinrich's direction.

"Who's he?" Greed asked. "He's not your brother, that's for sure."

"This is Alfons Heinrich. My boyfriend."

Greed's shoulders slumped. "You _still_ have a boyfriend? When do _I _get a shot?"

Ed rested his head on Heinrich's arm. "He's only been my boyfriend for a year. My first one and I broke up five months before I met him."

Greed stared at Ed, slowly processing what he just said. He put his hands on his hips, Heinrich finally catching a glimpse of the tattoo on his hand, and his grin twitched.

"There was a five-month single period, and I didn't know about it?" Greed asked.

"Yep," Ed answered mercilessly.

Greed sighed dejectedly and smacked his forehead.

"Damn it." He looked at Ed longingly, the fact that he couldn't just whisk him away somewhere clearly stabbing his ego repeatedly. "Next time, call me when you break up with someone."

Ed rolled his eyes. "You still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?"

Greed linked his fingers together and put his hands behind his head. "Like I said. Checking up on you. Last I heard, you lived here, so I came here, but you weren't here. The old lady said you'd be visiting, so I stuck around. Do you have any idea how little there is to do here?"

Ed sighed. "I know, I know. But why check up on me after four years?"

Greed shrugged vaguely and started walking up the hill. Ed furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't say anything on the matter. He looked up at Heinrich and caught the suspicious glare Heinrich was giving Greed.

"Hey," Ed said. Heinrich snapped out of his daze and looked at Ed. Ed smiled at him. "He's not a problem."

Heinrich curved his eyes up in a forced smile, but his mouth didn't quite reach the 'decent-smile' mark.

Scar dusted his jacket off, his eyes narrowed in an annoyed fashion.

"I hate him," Scar stated, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Let's just get to Auntie Pinako's," Ed said, walking up the trail, pulling Heinrich with him. Scar followed them up the hill. Heinrich knitted his eyebrows together again, noticing how Ed didn't seem to have a negative opinion about Greed. If Greed was his stalker like he said he was, wouldn't he dislike him?

~!#$%^&*()_+

Greed returned to the house much too soon for Pinako's liking. She grunted at him and continued to work on some automail. Greed sat down into a chair in his usual 'I-own-the-place' fashion. He sighed and looked out the window whimsically.

Pinako halted her work and raised an eyebrow. She turned around and gave him a look.

"What's eating _you_?"

Greed glanced at her, then looked back out the window.

"Ed's back," he said. Pinako furrowed her eyebrows together.

"That's what you wanted to happen, isn't it?" she asked.

Greed sighed. "I wanted him to be _single_ when he showed up."

Pinako's eyes widened. "He has someone with him?"

Greed nodded and rested his chin on his arms.

"He could've at least picked someone prettier." Greed grumbled, remembering the nondescript blond hair, the unremarkable blue eyes, and the typical height and figure for a young man. He gritted his teeth. "Bet he's boring, too." The flash of Ed hanging off that plain man like he was the best thing on Earth made him tighten his fists.

He was supposed to be Greed, not Envy, damn it. But jealousy pounded through his veins, along with anger, as he imagined Ed kissing and doing _those_ kinds of things with "Alfons Heinrich". Even the name was boring.

And he wanted him so _much_!

Surprise filled Pinako as tears started rolling down the homunculus's cheeks. Tiny sobs escaped his throat, and he gripped the chair tightly. His shoulders shook, and a small chuckle managed to force its way through the sobs.

"D-damn you, Edward," he said before covering his face with his hand and sobbing into it.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Ed stood a ways from him, talking to the people he knew. They talked excitedly about Ed's promotion, and a few of the girls asked who Heinrich was. Heinrich glanced at Scar and found he also had been wrapped into conversation with someone.

Heinrich wasn't sure when he found himself standing in the middle of the road by himself, but he didn't like the feeling of it. He couldn't seem to make himself step up next to Ed, though.

He remembered how Greed had tilted Ed's head up. Ed hadn't exactly pushed his hand away. He remembered the dejected look Greed had when Ed mentioned having a boyfriend, and he remembered how Greed looked as though he had found the perfect meat for dinner when he first saw them. He remembered how easily he had pushed Scar aside, and from what Heinrich kept hearing, that wasn't supposed to be so easy.

All in all, everything he had gathered about the man in those short minutes was making his blood boil and his suspicions rise exponentially.

Greed certainly _acted_ like stalker material. But . . . did that mean Greed was also _rapist_ material?

Would it actually _be_ rape if Greed tried anything? Ed hadn't exactly pushed his hand away. . . .

No, he was being ridiculous. Of course Ed wouldn't cheat on him. Ed probably just figured that if Greed was going to do something untoward, he'd have done it sooner or something. Yeah, that had to be it. Ed just knew Greed well enough to figure out what was a danger and what wasn't. That sounded right. Right?

Ed loved Heinrich. He'd never cheat on him with anyone, let alone a _monster_ named _Greed_. Right?

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed knocked on the door.

"Coming!" rang Pinako's voice. Ed grinned, and a small smile crossed Scar's face.

The door creaked open, and an old woman appeared in the doorway.

"There you are, Edward! I was wondering when you'd show up. Good to see you again, Scar." Scar nodded in agreement. "And who is this young man? He's too tall to be Alphonse."

"This is Alfons Heinrich. He's my . . . ."

Pinako smiled warmly at Ed. "It's all right. I already know." She held out a hand to Heinrich. "It's nice to meet Edward's boyfriend."

Heinrich smiled politely. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you, too."

"Come in, come in. I haven't cooked anything yet, and please excuse the guest. He just waltzed in here one day and hasn't left since, being a constant thorn in my side." Pinako said.

Scar, Ed, and Heinrich entered the house, Pinako closing the door behind her.

"Who is the - ?" Scar asked, but then he laid his eyes on Greed in the kitchen.

They never would've guessed Greed had a good cry before they showed up. He grinned at them, the milk carton in hand.

"Nice to see you so soon," Greed said as he lifted the carton to his lips.

A wrench flew through the air, and Greed expertly tilted his head to the side, the wrench missing him by an inch.

"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT DRINKING OUT OF THE CARTON?"

"Yeah, yeah," Greed said, taking a big gulp anyway. Pinako let out an exasperated sigh.

"He's been like this since he showed up," Pinako explained.

Scar glared at him.

"Have you no manners?" Scar demanded. "The least you could do would be to show Lady Pinako some respect!"

Greed rolled his eyes. "Better an unruly house guest than her son and daughter-in-law's murderer."

Scar stepped back, clearly stung.

Ed sighed. "Please be nice?" he asked.

Greed froze. Heinrich could see the gears in his head turning as he deliberated ignoring Ed's request.

"What do I get in return?" Greed inquired, setting the milk carton onto the counter.

"I don't kick you in the balls."

"It wouldn't hurt me. You know that."

"Oh really?"

Greed narrowed his eyes at Ed, suddenly unsure of himself. Ed just gave him a look that said "Are you sure you want to risk it?"

Greed's shoulders slumped and his expression sagged.

"_Fine_, I'll behave." Greed acquiesced. Ed smiled.

"Good."

Heinrich frowned, but it was quickly wiped off his face as Ed grabbed his elbow and dragged him towards another room.

"Come on, I'll show you the workroom where Auntie makes the automail!"

~!#$%^&*()_+

Pinako washed one of the many glasses in the sink. Moonlight shone in through the window, coloring the room in blue and casting black shadows. Though, Pinako would say that Greed was the blackest thing in the room.

The homunculus stared up at the ceiling, knowing that the room above was where Heinrich and Ed slept.

"Do you ever go to sleep?" Pinako asked.

Greed snorted. "I used to."

"Why the change?"

Greed leaned his elbows on the kitchen table.

"I haven't a clue." He let out a breath of air, incapable of finding the energy to turn it into a sigh. "All I know is that there's something brewing and Ed has something to do with it."

Pinako stopped running the wash towel over the glass and turned to look at him.

"Something brewing? Like the stuff with the Gate?" she asked.

Greed nodded.

"But the Gate was shut for good. . . . wasn't it?"

Greed shrugged. "I haven't a clue. But something's up, and it has to do with Ed. I don't think he knows it, though."

Pinako grunted and resumed washing the dishes.

"Speaking of Edward," Pinako said, "how long have you been obsessing over him?"

Greed raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Obsessing?"

"Yes. Watching him fawn over Heinrich was obviously killing you."

Greed's expression softened and he leaned back into his chair. His breathing slowed as he thought back to earlier. _Ed hanging off Heinrich's arm, Ed smiling mostly for Heinrich, Ed talking about Heinrich with that damn smile - _

"For a few years," Greed admitted. "He's just always belonged to somebody else."

Pinako halted her washing again.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't know who the first boyfriend was, but he was fiercely loyal to him. Only his brother being in danger made him agree to my deal."

Pinako set the glass down and picked up another dish. "What deal was that?"

Greed smiled slightly. "I told him I'd help him save his brother if he'd give me what I wanted. . . . I had meant to have sex with him, but that didn't happen. I don't understand it myself, but I guess I changed my mind somewhere along the line."

Pinako made a thoughtful sound.

"What do you feel for Edward?"

"What do you mean?"

Pinako turned her back on the dishes and looked at him hard.

"Do you love Edward?"

Greed wasn't really looking at her as he thought. His eyes strayed to a little above her head.

"I wouldn't recognize as love if I do. Homunculi aren't supposed to love. Love is strictly a human trait."

Pinako smirked. "I don't think so. Many animals are capable of love. Den the dog is a perfect example. He loves Winry, me, Ed, Al, and Scar very much, and he's not human."

"That's different," Greed insisted.

"If you say so."

Greed crossed his arms and stared up at the ceiling again.

". . . . I think I'll follow them to Central." Greed said.

Pinako turned back to her dishes.

"Fine. As long as you don't stay here all your life. I can only stand you for so long."

Greed smirked.


	26. Chapter 26

Red Roses2: Sorry this is so delayed. I had plans that came up unexpectedly and haven't written as much as I wanted. And then when this was ready to be posted, wouldn't let me log in, so this is about five days late. But I've thought of some really interesting turns of events that I hope I'll get to soon. You guys are going to A) love it, B) not believe it, or C) want to hit someone. Or all three, whatever floats your boat. I've also discovered a new favorite tea, so that's why raspberries keep popping up in this chapter. And it's 9 pages! W00t! (Wow, spell check sees nothing wrong with w00t. That's weird.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Pinako wondered how a man could get such glee from being glared at so much. Heinrich and Scar refused to take their hateful gazes off of Greed, and Greed grinned smugly through it all. Ed ignored it for the most part, but he did try to pull Heinrich's attention away from Greed.

It didn't help that Greed was still flirting randomly.

"There's a river up near the sheep herds," Ed chatted, stroking Heinrich's arm with his flesh hand. "And the sheep festival is supposed to start soon, right Auntie?"

Pinako nodded, twisting her screwdriver into the automail limb in her hands.

"It's not as fun as the festival in Leore, but there's free food and games." Heinrich finally took his eyes off of Greed to take in Ed's smile. "Mom, Al, Winry, and I used to have a lot of fun at it. It's been a while since I've been."

Heinrich gave Ed a soft smile, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Greed changed the subject.

Greed rested his chin on his tattoo, his sunglasses sliding down his nose seductively. "If you ever get bored with Amestrian boys, I'm perfectly fine with a one-night stand."

Heinrich glared at Greed, gritted his teeth and tightened his fists. Ed gave him a disbelieving look.

"Says the man who wants to take over the world," Ed said. He looked back at Heinrich and tried, once again, to divert his attention.

Heinrich merely narrowed his eyes, distrust – and jealousy? What did _he_ have to be jealous about? – smoldering in his gaze.

Ed sighed and stood up.

"I give up." The military official crossed the room into the hall. "Here, Den! Let's go for a walk!" The dog trotted up to Ed, the click-click-click-clong of natural and automail nails echoing through the house.

A regretful frown adorned Heinrich's face, and a sigh escaped his lips as the door shut. His glare turned morose and exhausted, as though he had been giving it for more than twenty minutes.

"I hate you," Heinrich said, every bit of the vehemence his expression had a few moments before present in his voice.

It was strange to see such a tired expression and hear such a loathing tone of voice at the same time.

Greed's grin faltered slightly.

"I don't like you, either," Greed admitted. He leaned back in his chair and pushed his sunglasses farther up his nose. "You have the one thing I'd give the world up for, after all." Heinrich furrowed his eyebrows.

Scar's glare softened into some kind of indifference.

Pinako stood up and set the automail on the table.

"That's enough out of you. Both of you." Pinako said. Greed's grin finally fell into a frown; his shoulders slumped, his facial muscles became lax, and it looked like the melancholy in the house finally pushed him down. "Greed, go do something out of the way. Heinrich, go catch up with Edward." Heinrich opened his mouth to say something, but Pinako gave him a good reason. "Ed only takes Den for a walk when he's visiting his mother's grave. It's the closest you'll get to meeting her."

~!#$%^&*()_+

Pinako grunted as she finally sat down at the kitchen table. Scar cleared her workbench. They sighed in unison.

"Scar, what's your opinion of Alfons Heinrich?" Pinako asked.

Scar set the tool bag onto the floor and sat in the chair across from Pinako.

"Edward worships him. I don't understand why. He seems . . . ordinary." Scar admitted.

Pinako grunted. "Well, I'm not really surprised. Ed lets himself get wrapped up in things that he loves, even if it hurts him in the end. Like the idea of having his mother back from the dead."

Scar bowed his head. He'd seen the grave, but no one really told him the story.

"Alphonse did have his misgivings about the whole idea, but Edward was so enamored with it that he refused to let common sense tell him otherwise. As a result, they spent years trying to regain Al's body, and Ed still has the stumps as evidence."

Scar looked at the markings on the table – a few scratches here, a burn there – and sighed.

The two sat there in silence, one wondering what was wrong with Amestrians, the other thinking of what she should tell Hoenheim when she called later.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich watched Ed from afar, unable to will his legs to move any closer. The wind carried Ed's whisper towards him, and his words held Heinrich in place.

"I think you'd really like him, Mom. He's really sweet. He can be a little overprotective at times, but that's okay. He's just looking out for me."

His words wavered with the sounds of sobs, but happiness laced his voice.

Leaves blew into Ed's blond locks. Heinrich noticed the hair tie was no longer keeping Ed's hair back, and that beautiful golden mane whipped about in the wind. Ed ran his flesh hand through his hair, fingers catching on a few tangles.

"Guess the wind stole my hair tie," Ed joked. Den barked in agreement.

Heinrich had heard Ed laugh. He'd heard him cry. He'd heard him talk, heard him grumble, heard him moan and gasp and mewl and whimper, heard him yell and shout and demand. He'd heard him explain, heard him make excuses. But he had never heard him sound so . . . at peace.

Standing there, by himself, with a dog, before his mother's grave, he sounded more at peace than he ever did with Heinrich, with Hoenheim, with Winry – with Al. . . .

He didn't know whether he should run away or step up beside Ed. He didn't want to ruin how . . . _perfect_ Ed was right then.

Sun glinted off of his automail arm. His clothes rippled with the wind and his movements. Heinrich caught a glimpse of a bouquet of white and purple flowers.

"Here, Mom. I transmuted them on my way here."

Ed set them on the grave sight, though Heinrich couldn't see it. Ed's back blocked the grave itself. Ed straightened up.

"Al got married. Did you know that? His wife's name is Mei. She's really sweet. Pretty, too. 'Course, she doesn't compare to you! They have a little girl named Ming. I swear, she's the cutest niece ever!"

Heinrich's shoulders slumped. Slowly, he trekked farther up the hill. A twig snapped, and Ed looked over his shoulder. The wind cooled hot tears as they rolled down Ed's cheeks. Heinrich kept climbing until he stood next to Ed. He placed a hand on his shoulder – his automail one.

He knew Ed's automail went all the way up to his shoulder. He knew it felt cold and – well – metal, not warm and soft like his flesh. But the unyielding firmness reminded him of its story – Trisha Elric's story.

Heinrich pulled Ed into his arms and held him tightly. He pressed his cheek against the side of Ed's head, breathed in the combined smell of machine oil and raspberry shampoo, rubbed his right hand over the place where automail arm met flesh and his left hand down the small of Ed's back. He felt Ed tilt his head confusedly.

"Hei - ?"

"Alfons."

"Huh?"

"I liked it when you called me Alfons." _Was it memories of your mother or memories of Al that is making you cry?_ "It sounds wonderful when you say it."

Heinrich sensed Ed's smile as Ed nuzzled his neck.

"Okay, Alfons. But what are you doing here?"

Heinrich pulled away from Ed, a small sad smile lingering on his lips.

"I was hoping to say hello to your mother."

Ed matched his smile and turned towards the grave. Heinrich let his eyes drift to the grave. The marble marker, with the name Trisha Elric, looked into his soul without eyes, touched his core without hands – threatened him without words.

It was stupid to fear the dead. It wasn't scientifically possible for the dead to harm the living. He knew that. But that name – that marble slab – the peace that it gave Ed – it was a silent demand, a secret taunt.

He couldn't be her. He couldn't be the one to make Ed feel so at home. He was just the stray cat that Hoenheim brought home. He was just there to keep Ed company, to make him happy.

_You can't be me. _

_I can't be you. _

_You're dead, and yet I envy you so much right now._

"Mom, this is Alfons." Ed's flesh arm circled around Heinrich's waist. The wind blew Ed's hair onto Heinrich's arm. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me."

Heinrich's chest swelled with satisfaction and pride; his cheeks flushed with glee.

He pulled Ed's automail arm to complete the circle his flesh arm had started. Ed gasped. He looked up at Heinrich and met his incredibly pleased smile.

Ed felt like he couldn't breathe.

"You – you don't mind the automail?"

Heinrich's eyes curved upward as his smile widened.

"Why would I? It's part of you, and I love you."

Ed's face flushed adorably. He bowed his head and looked back at Trisha's grave.

"Told you he was perfect."

Perfect. _Perfect._ He thought he was perfect.

It was stupid to think Greed was competition.

Heinrich looked back at Trisha's grave.

"Ms. Trisha, thank you _so_ much for bringing such a wonderful son into the world."

Ed's blush deepened.

"And I wish you were still here so you both could be even more happy," Heinrich added.

If Ed turned any redder, his head would explode.

Without words, Heinrich pulled Ed back down the hill. Ed made a quick goodbye to Trisha's grave and followed him eagerly. Den made an annoyed growl and trotted after them. The dog flattened his ears and narrowed his eyes at the strange man who showed up with Master Winry's friend Edward.

Keep in mind that this is the dog who approved of Scar.

Heinrich stopped, rested his left hand on Ed's shoulder, and lifted Ed's chin up with his right hand.

"I'm perfect, huh?"

Ed ducked his head, an embarrassed laugh escaping his lips.

"Well, yeah. I mean, even Al shied away from my automail."

Heinrich's smile disappeared, his playful mood dissipated.

"He didn't mean to. But sometimes he couldn't help it."

Heinrich wished that damn forgiving smile would go away.

Ed looked up and flashed him a grin. "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

The German forced another smile. "No problem. I just hope I live up to your opinion of me."

The look on Ed's face was somewhat worrying. That smile, those wide eyes, the small tilt of the head said: what are you talking about, of course you will.

It shouldn't have made Heinrich feel so great. But it did.

He wondered if this pride was going to be his downfall.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Mustang knocked on the Hughes' door. He took a deep breath and flashed a charming smile as the door opened.

"Good evening, Gra - !" Mustang started jovially, but then he realized it wasn't Gracia. "Elysia!"

"Good evening, Roy!" Elysia said, the eleven-year-old grinning back at him. "How are you?"

"I'm well. And yourself?"

"Great!"

"Glad to hear it. Where's your mother?"

"Out shopping. But you can come in if you'd like. There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about."

Mustang raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Elysia nodded, her long blonde pigtails bouncing. Mustang stepped into the house, and Elysia closed the door behind him. She led him into the living room.

"Would you like some tea? I made some for when Mommy comes back."

Mustang smiled at her. "If it's not too much trouble."

"Of course it's not! Do you want the blue china or the pink one?"

Mustang's eyes landed on the china with the blue flowers, and the memory of Hughes registering it for him and Gracia stabbed at his heart – repeatedly. _Backstabber, backstabber, BACKSTABBER!_ The one with pink flowers wasn't any better, but at least Hughes bought that set specifically for Elysia.

"Pink's fine." Mustang said softly. Elysia tilted her head, confused, at the solemn expression on his face. She shrugged it off and set the pink-flowered cup and saucer in front of him. She poured raspberry tea into Mustang's cup and poured some for herself. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Elysia took a sip of tea, like a princess would, and steeled her expression. "Mommy and I have decided that it's time that she should start dating again."

The tea cup almost fell from Mustang's grasp. Elysia didn't seem to notice.

"It's hard to find someone nice, though. I mean, they seem nice at first, but they're mean to me when Mommy's not around, and that's no good. In the end, turns out all they want is Mommy's money."

Mustang furrowed his eyebrows. That didn't sound right at all! Who wouldn't be in love with a beautiful, kind, funny, intelligent woman like Gracia? Another stab at his heart – _TRAITOR!_

Elysia sipped her tea once more. "Then there was that one guy who was nice until he had a bit of alcohol. Mommy still has the bruise from when he hit her."

Mustang's hands balled into fists. Elysia did acknowledge this, but she didn't say anything.

"He's not around anymore, don't worry. Mommy dated Sergeant Brosh for a while, and he's still nice, but it just didn't work out. He was really sorry about it, though, and he drops by to play with me sometimes. But I was wondering if you knew of anyone who would like Mommy."

_Oh, I know of someone, but . . . ._

Mustang gulped a mouthful of tea down and set the cup back on its saucer.

"Well, I'd suggest Havoc, Breda, Falman, or Fuery, but Havoc's dating Sheska, Breda: Rebecca from Inventory, Falman: Maria Ross, and Fuery: Hawkeye. And Ed's not even straight - ," Mustang blanched once he said it; Ed was going to _kill_ him!

Elysia cocked her head to the side, giving him a doe-eyed expression. "You mean Uncle Ed?"

Mustang laughed nervously. Elysia smiled.

"Oh, Mommy and I knew that already. Mommy caught him with his boyfriend. She wouldn't let me see, though."

Mustang's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "She did? When was this?"

"A few years ago."

Years ago?

"Did you happen to catch a name?"

Elysia shook her head. "Mommy wouldn't tell me who it was, either." Elysia furrowed her eyebrows at Mustang's suddenly concerned expression. "Why?"

Mustang took a deep breath, thought about the consequences of recruiting an eleven-year-old into Mission Investigay, and decided "what the heck".

"Havoc, Fuery, and I are concerned as to the nature of Ed's relationships. We know he's in one currently, but he won't tell us who it is. He's also still trying to convince everyone he's straight, which makes it more difficult. Recently, we've become distracted from our goal, and now that Ed's on a recuperative trip, we can't investigate much. We're actually pretty concerned."

Elysia frowned. "Do you think it has something to do with when he was really sad?"

"You know about that?"

Elysia nodded and leaned back into her comfy chair. "Yeah. Mr. Hoenheim would be the only one to answer the phone, and when Mommy and I dropped by unexpectedly, we couldn't really visit with him because he couldn't stop crying." Mustang's eyes widened. "Mr. Hoenheim wasn't rude about it, but he did say that we shouldn't bother Ed until he was able to put himself back together. Mommy asked if it had to do with Ed's boyfriend, and Mr. Hoenheim said that his boyfriend up and disappeared."

Mustang halted all movement, his eyes frozen in their progressive widening.

Up and disappeared? Boyfriend? Crying?

_Where's Al? Ed frozen in mid-gesture, his arm half-way into his left sleeve. Tears welding, teeth gritting. Lowering his gaze to the floor, coat falling off his arm and to the floor. I – I don't - I don't know. Sobs escaping, tears spilling over, couldn't stop crying or hold himself up on his two feet. _

Slowly, Mustang shook his head in disbelief. No, he had to be mistaken. Or Elysia was mistaken. Or _Hoenheim_ was mistaken. Someone HAD to be mistaken. There was no way _Ed_ and _Al_ –

_It's okay. Al will come home, and everything will be okay. He just needs some time, but he'll be home. I came back, didn't I? So will Al. Shhh, it's okay. That steely glare Hoenheim gave him as he suggested Mustang, Hawkeye, and Havoc leave. As though daring him to contradict. _

The front door opened.

"Elysia, I'm home!"

Elysia jumped up excitedly. "Mommy! Look who came to visit!"

Mustang gathered his composure, stood up, and bowed. Gracia smiled warmly at him.

"It's nice to see you again, Roy."

"It's my pleasure, Gracia."

Elysia's face lit up suddenly. Mustang could practically see the light bulb click above her head.

"I know, Mommy!"

"Know what, sweetie?"

"Roy can be your next date!"

Mustang gawked at Elysia. His mouth flapped like a fish's – no sound coming out. He was pretty sure the chill that just ran up his spine was from Hughes's glare from the grave.


	27. Chapter 27

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Mustang sat across from Gracia, boring a hole into his water glass with his stare. He fiddled with his lavish sleeve cuff, his nerves trembling. The sounds of small talk and chinking wine glasses suffocated him. The red wine the waiter poured reminded him of blood – blood that he was sure Hughes wished he could drain out of his body drop by drop, all for going on a date with his wife.

He swallowed hard. For once, he felt extremely uncomfortable in formal settings.

Gracia unfolded her cloth napkin and set it in her lap. She sent him a sympathetic smile.

"Roy, if you're uncomfortable, it doesn't have to be a date. It can be two friends catching up," she said.

Mustang finally looked up from the water glass.

"Right. . . ." he said, his brow worried. "How are things?"

Gracia's smile widened.

"Life has been good. Elysia has been getting outstanding grades in school. My boss has recently given me a raise. Everything's fine."

Mustang frowned. "Except your love life."

Gracia's smile faltered.

"Elysia told me you've had the misfortune of finding a lot of jerks."

Gracia forced her smile back on.

"It's nothing to be concerned about."

"One of them hurt you." Mustang balled his fists under the table. "Elysia said you still have a bruise."

Gracia pushed her hair behind her ear.

"He's not an issue anymore."

Mustang tightened his jaw.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" he asked.

Her smile fell completely.

"Maes would never forgive me if I didn't help you with whatever you needed. If you're having problems with some asshole who doesn't appreciate you, I want you to tell me. Okay?"

Gracia fiddled with her necklace and cast her glance to the side.

"I wouldn't want to make a big deal out of noth - ."

"It's not nothing!" Mustang ignored the curious stares his outburst earned him. Gracia's back pressed deeper into the chair. "Your safety is important, and if they hurt you, what's to keep them from hurting Elysia?"

Gracia's eyes widened as she considered that possibility. Her expression softened, and she smiled once more.

"You're right. Okay. I'll let you know next time."

Mustang let his own smile grace his features.

"Thank you."

The waiter came up to their table and inquired about their orders. Mustang and Gracia supplied him with the information, and the waiter bowed out.

Gracia took in Mustang's stance and started giggling. Mustang raised his eyebrows.

"What's so funny?" he questioned.

Her eyes curved with her smile. "It's nothing, really. It's just you're always so uptight. You sit with a straight back even when you're on a date!" She giggled some more.

He smiled, but a vein twitched in his forehead.

It wasn't _that_ funny. . . .

"There's something else that I wanted to talk to you about." He said, lifting his wine glass.

"What is it?"

Mustang sipped his wine. The taste of fermented grapes loosened his nerves.

"Elysia said you knew who Ed's first boyfriend was. Havoc, Fuery, and I are trying to determine if we have to worry about Ed. If we had an idea of what Ed's type was, it'd make it a lot easier." As he talked, Gracia's body language went from relaxed and open to tense and cautious. "Could you tell me who the first boyfriend was?"

Gracia sipped her water for quite some time. When she set her glass down, the seriousness of her gaze intimidated him.

"I promised them I wouldn't say."

Mustang took a deep breath.

"If he's worried what people will think of him being gay - ."

"It's not that."

Mustang narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Then why can't you tell me?"

Gracia sighed.

"If I tell you, you'll know."

He knitted his eyebrows. A heavy silence descended upon them. They both sipped their waters and waited for someone to say something.

"Could I guess and you confirm or deny?" Mustang suggested.

Gracia thought for a minute and nodded.

"Okay." Mustang thought of all the boys it could possibly be, including the one he prayed to the God he didn't believe in wasn't it.

"Greed the Homunculus?"

She shook her head.

"Russell Trigham?"

Again, she shook her head.

"Fletcher Trigham?"

Another shake of the head.

Mustang cringed.

"A – Al Elric?"

Gracia closed her eyes and nodded. Mustang hung his head.

_Damn it_.

The waiter brought their food, but neither kept their appetites.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed laughed his ass off as Heinrich failed once again at the "sheep lasso" game that the German had insisted he could win.

Heinrich dusted his pants off.

"Scar makes it look easier," was his excuse.

Ed laughed harder, but his laughter turned into a hacking cough. Heinrich blanched, worry shining in his eyes. Ed covered his mouth, and the sound of a small clog flying from its pipe brought the cough to a halt. Ed examined his hand, then wiped it on his pants. Red smeared on his thigh, while he flashed a grin at Heinrich.

"Want to watch the sheep dog competition, then? You won't get all dusty!" Ed joked.

Heinrich frowned.

"Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

"Sure I am! You want to do it or not?"

The German grinded his teeth.

"For a little bit, I guess. But maybe we should get that cough checked out."

Ed linked his arm with Heinrich's and led him off to another part of the pasture.

"Nah, I'm fine. Let's go! Den is actually competing. It's kind of funny to watch him since he hasn't any formal training."

"Yeah," Heinrich said absentmindedly. His gaze traveled to the smeared blood on Ed's pants.

_There's no cure for consumption. _

But Hoenheim cured him.

_Hoenheim's not here. What if he dies before that? _

He wouldn't let that happen.

_You're just an engineer. Haven't even learned how to build automail, let alone alchemy. You're third – no, fourth-rate here. How can you protect him? You're the one who gave it to him! _

He was learning.

_You're nothing compared to Alphonse Elric . . . or Greed. You're an inadequate replacement. _

No, Ed said he was the best –

_You believe that? _

YES!

"Alfons?"

Heinrich snapped out of it and looked Ed in the eye. Ed's eyebrows were furrowed, and his grip on Heinrich's arm tightened.

"Are you okay?"

Heinrich stopped his instinctual response: "Yeah, I'm fine."

Instead, he said, "Actually, I'm not feeling too well." He faked a smile. "I'm not used to sheep meat, and that lasso thing used more energy than I thought. Maybe we should turn back?"

Complete bullshit, all of it. In Germany, he and his brother used to eat sheep intestines when they were scraping for a decent meal. And no chasing after a sheep with a bit of rope would cause any sort of cramp.

Ed, miraculously, bought it.

"Okay, we'll go back to the house."

Heinrich wondered if Al ever fooled Ed like that before.

He suddenly felt like a jerk.

They walked back to the house, Ed with an iron grip on his arm. Heinrich's expression softened as he watched E's worried eyebrows and his worried lip – everything about him was worried . . . and beautiful.

They reached Pinako's house. Ed opened the door and led him to the kitchen.

"You want anything? Like water or - ?" Ed asked, but Heinrich grasped his automail wrist. He cupped Ed's cheek with his other hand and lifted his head.

"I love you," Heinrich whispered, smiling.

He just needed to hear it. Just to make his doubt shut up.

"I l- I l- !" Ed tried. "I l- !" And tried. "I l- !" And tried.

_I love you, Al. I love you, too, Brother. AL! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE! AL! _

"I l- !" Sobs escaped Ed's throat. "I l- I lo – I lo - !"

_I love you, Al. DON'T LEAVE ME! _

Heinrich rested his hands on Ed's shoulders.

"I know you love me. I just need to hear it. Relax, okay?"

Ed couldn't make the sobs stop.

_I love you. DON'T LEAVE! I love you DON'T LEAVE! I love you DON'T LEAVE I love you DON'T LEAVE! _

"I love you! God, I love you so much!" His knees buckled, and Heinrich scrambled to catch him. Tears spilled.

_The door slammed, and he lost Al because he couldn't figure out what was wrong, because he didn't understand, he lost the first person he loved more than anything to someone he never met or heard of until it was too late. _

He didn't want the same to happen with Heinrich.

"I love you," Ed sobbed into Heinrich's shirt. "Alfons, I love you so much it hurts."

Heinrich's heart broke at how desperate Ed sounded, saying this. What happened to make this so hard?

"Ed? Should I not have asked - ?"

Ed shook his head and gripped Heinrich's shirt.

"Repeat your promise. Please. The promise you made when you first said you loved me."

Heinrich didn't even need to remember what it was.

"I'll never leave you."

Ed regained his footing and looked up at Heinrich.

"I'll hold you to that, okay?"

Heinrich nodded.

"Ed?"

Those golden eyes, moist with tears, gazed up at him, full of love and dissipating fear.

"Why are you afraid of being abandoned?"

Ed's expression didn't change.

"When I was three, I told Dad I loved him everyday. One day, he never came back home. I didn't see him again until I was fifteen. After Mustang read my diary, he avoided me like the plague. It took landing myself in the hospital for him to come near me, let alone talk to me. And – and Al - ."

Heinrich pressed a finger to Ed's lips.

"Okay. Don't worry. I won't leave you."

The German pressed his lips onto the Amerstian's. Their kiss deepened and turned into quite the show for their not-so-little voyeur.

Greed slunk away from the doorway, grinding his teeth. That certainly explained why Edward was dating such a bore. Said bore was able to give what would inconvenience him too much.

Oh well.

There was always vying for a one-night stand.


	28. Chapter 28

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Ling's eyebrows twitched as Greed Elric hopped up and down on the suitcase. The homunculus no longer wore its Xingese styled clothes. A loose black tank top that came short of its belly button adorned its shoulders, and black low-cut jeans hugged its hips, showing off its ouroboros tattoo. It ignored its black braid as it hopped up and down on the suitcase, trying to make the locks snap into place.

"That's not going to work." Ling said.

Greed Elric ignored him and continued to jump up and down. Sighing, Ling came over and, once the homunculus landed on the suitcase once more, he snapped the locks closed. Greed Elric grinned. Ling furrowed his eyebrows.

It looked cute when it was smiling.

"You were supposed to let the servants pack it."

Its white teeth almost blinded him.

"They did pack it. They just couldn't close it. They said they wanted it closed."

Ling sighed. He pressed the heel of his palm to his forehead and gave Greed Elric a hopeless look.

"What am I going to do with you?"

He felt like a father with a child who kept getting into trouble. But said child was so adorable and he hadn't a clue what he was doing that he basically let Greed Elric run wild. Last time he tried to keep the child from doing what someone wanted . . . .

_A servant started to lose her temper with the polish. Ling and Greed Elric sat in Ling's office, but that didn't keep her voice from reaching them. _

"_Shine, damn it! The emperor needs you to shine!" _

_Ling ignored her for the most part, but then she said the should-not-say word. _

"_I want you to shine!" _

_Before Ling could process what the servant said, Greed Elric hopped out of his chair and left the office. Ling chased after him. _

"_Greed!" _

_Greed Elric stood next to the servant. _

"_What was it you wanted?" it asked. _

_The servant bowed her head. _

"_Oh, Greed-chan, is there something you want?" _

_Greed Elric grinned at her. "Whatever you want. What was it?" _

_The servant had the audacity to blush. "Well, I want this to be polished for the emperor and – ." _

"_Greed Elric! I want you back in my office this instant!" Ling yelled at him. _

_Greed Elric looked back and forth at the servant, then at him, then back at the servant, then back at him, and it kept doing that, its expression becoming more and more troubled and confused as it did so. _

_That was when Ling figured out no one had an overarching authority over the small homunculus. _

_Ling gritted his teeth and gave up. "Fine. Do whatever she wants." _

_Greed Elric brightened up considerably, bent down, and helped the servant polish the damn armor. _

_Ling barricaded himself into his office and held his head. _

Greed Elric jumped off the suitcase and landed with a "poof" on the bed. Ling sat next to him. Greed Elric looked at him with those big gray eyes, shaped just like Ed's. Ling wrapped his arm around it, and those features matured and adopted golden colors.

Ling bit his lip and closed his eyes.

"You pitiful creature."

"Why do you say that?" said in Ed's voice, as though Ed were breathing that in his ear instead of a child.

Ling shook his head and held Greed Elric closer.

"I hope there never is another one like you."

"Then I'm sorry."

Ling's eyes flew open and he stared at Greed Elric, not registering the golden eyes – he could almost see the gray of Greed behind the golden imitation.

"I can sense Mother will have another child soon. I can feel Mother's body entering another stressful situation. Mother has more alchemic build-up where I came from." Ling's face fell as Greed Elric continued. "If I had to estimate, I'd say Mother has enough alchemic build-up to birth three more children."

Three . . . more . . . ?

Ling launched himself off the bed and grabbed Greed Elric's shoulders.

"Their names! What are their names!"

Greed Elric gave him a condescending grin and knitted eyebrows.

"Silly, those not conceived yet don't have names. But I can tell you my dear sister's name."

Sister?

"Go on," Ling encouraged.

Greed Elric's grin widened.

"Pride Elric."

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed hung out of the train window and waved to everyone on the train station. Pinako and Den stood at the forefront of the crowd.

"You be careful now!" Pinako shouted over the blare of the train whistle.

"Don't worry, Auntie!" Ed replied.

Scar even poked his head out and gave Pinako – and maybe the other Risembool citizens – a goodbye wave.

Den barked them goodbye as the train pulled out of the station. Heinrich smiled as best he could. Once Risembool was out of sight, Ed closed the window and sat down next to Heinrich.

"Next stop, Dublith." Ed announced.

Scar nodded.

Heinrich touched the back of Ed's hand. Ed looked at him, curious. Heinrich gave him a serious look.

"When we get there, you're seeing a doctor, okay?"

Ed sighed. "Fine, but I'm telling you, nothing's wrong with me." As though to prove Heinrich's point, a coughing fit snuck up on him. Ed covered his mouth with his automail hand, his body shaking. Heinrich stiffened, knowing how much his own lungs had burned when he had coughed.

If he hadn't had his airplanes and rockets – not that the dust and fumes from them helped his lungs any – he might've ended it all just to avoid the pain.

Blood spat from Ed's mouth, spurting out of his hand and oozing past Ed's metal fingers.

Scar's and Heinrich's eyes widened.

"Ed!" Heinrich gasped.

Ed examined his automail hand. He shrugged. "Anyone have a towel?"

Heinrich gave him an incredulous look. "That doesn't concern you at all!?" Scar looked just as disbelieving.

Ed smiled at him, seemingly not noticing the blood dribbling from his mouth. "Ah, I'm fine. Teacher pukes blood all the time and she's okay." Heinrich's eyebrows flew up. "She's the one I know in Dublith, so you can see for yourself."

Scar narrowed his eyes. "Lady Izumi pukes blood because of an alchemy rebound. Your rebound was losing your leg. You haven't done anything recently to categorize this the same way."

Ed rolled his eyes. "I'm _fine_. I guess this means no one has a towel?" Ed just wiped it on his pants, which did happen to be brown. When the blood dried, it would blend right in. "Kind of wishing I used my flesh hand, though. Teacher's going to notice crusted blood on my automail."

"There's a bathroom at the back of the car," Scar supplied.

"Oh yeah, thanks, Scar," Ed said absentmindedly. He stood up, squeezed past Scar and Heinrich, and walked to the back of the car.

Scar leaned forward.

"You know what he has, don't you?" the Ishbalan asked.

Heinrich looked down at the ground.

"The symptoms match up to something I had before I met him, yes."

"What is it then?"

"It has a few names. It's official one is tuberculosis. For short, it's called TB, and it's also known as consumption. In my - er – where I'm from, it's essentially a death sentence, but this place is very different, and Mr. Hoenheim cured me, so maybe Ed's going to be okay, but it still worries me and - !"

Scar turned his head away from the tears that threatened to spill from Heinrich's eyes.

An Ishbalan must never watch another man cry. It was one of the many social mandates of his culture. It wasn't that crying was a state of weakness, or that showing emotion was frowned upon. It was just that it was a display of a very private emotion and shouldn't be gawked at.

"I just wish I knew what to do," Heinrich said, biting back sobs. He wiped his tears away quickly, in case Ed came back.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Hoenheim sat across from Al in Al's home. The Xingese background of Mei, Fu, and Ran Fan was ever present in the décor, but Hoenheim did catch a few glimpses of things that only Al would like.

The cat-patterned china was one of them.

Hoenheim sipped his tea from a cup with Persian cats painted on it.

"How are things, Alphonse?"

Al shrugged and smiled. "Everything's good. My job at tutoring is going well, and everyone is really happy, especially Ming." Al's smile brightened. "The other mothers in the neighborhood keep telling us how lucky we are to have such a well behaved kid. But they haven't seen her when we try to give her milk!"

Hoenheim chuckled; that was certainly the one trait she got from her Uncle Ed. Even as a baby, Ed had refused milk, even if it was from Trisha's breast. It had been very strange, and he and Trisha had been very concerned for Ed's well-being. . . .

He supposed some things never changed.

"Speaking of Ed," Al said, as though reading Hoenheim's mind, "have you heard from him?"

"Not since he was in Liore. He's supposed to call once he reaches Dublith."

"Ah. Hope his visit with Teacher goes well."

Hoenheim nodded and sipped more of his tea. Slowly, he set the cup back down and leaned on his elbows.

"Alphonse?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I hit you that day."

Al's eyebrows traveled up his forehead. "You are?"

Hoenheim nodded. Birds chirped outside the window. The sounds of Ming babbling and Mei taking care of her floated in from the other room. A soft smile flitted onto Al's face.

"I'm not."

Hoenheim's eyes widened.

Al's smile widened.

"I deserved it. I had no right to do that to Brother. You were only doing what you could to protect him. That's what a father is supposed to do."

Al rubbed his index finger on the rim of his cup.

"For a long time, Ed convinced himself he didn't need anyone looking after him. He was really stubborn about it, too. . . . Somewhere along the line, I think he managed to convince me, too. . . . But it's a lie, and you and I both know that. I just figured it out too late."

Hoenheim swallowed. An entire year after the fact, and he still didn't know how to react to this . . . _thing_ hovering over his family. He didn't know if he should be angry at all, if he should be _angrier_, if he should harbor regret, if he should pity Al, if he should expand his feelings towards Ed to Al, if he should or should not treat his sons the same.

The light hid Hoenheim's eyes.

"Do you think I'm a horrible father?"

Al shook his head.

"I don't think anyone else would be able to handle what Ed and I have forced you to deal with as well."

Hoenheim snorted.

"You two didn't force anything on me. Had I not read Ed's diary, I just would've been a confused old man who couldn't understand what the hell was happening under my damn roof. Which, technically, isn't even _my_ roof. It's Ed's."

A chuckle escaped Al's throat, and slowly, laughter filled the kitchen. Soon, Hoenheim joined him, and they had no idea what exactly they were laughing at, because what they were thinking wasn't funny at all, but everything was just too serious to be believed.

Ed had a crappy dad and a worse brother, and he seemed to love them both no matter what, even if the former had been given a reluctant love at first.

Al hugged his sides, tears running down his cheeks.

"Why are – ha ha _ha!_ – we laughing?" Hoenheim asked.

"I haven't – ah ha ha ha – a clue!" Al replied.

Hoenheim pressed his hand to his mouth in an attempt to stifle his laughter. Fu poked his head into the kitchen and raised an eyebrow.

"What's going on in here?" Fu asked gruffly.

Al tried to answer – he really did – but he just couldn't form the words around the irony.

The older Xingese man merely rolled his eyes and let them be; he resigned himself to a fate of never understanding the Elric men quite some time ago.

"Poor Ed," Hoenheim finally forced out.

Al nodded in agreement.

Poor Ed indeed.

Al still dreamed of having Ed like he did before he left home. He still wanted to make his brother his once again. And he knew Ed deserved much more than that. He deserved a brother who could take care of him.

Sometimes he wished he were more like Hoenheim, and other times he wondered if that was his problem – that he was like Hoenheim.

But it was easier just to laugh about their problems than to think about them too much.

Thinking was for late at night when you refuse to sleep in the same bed as your wife, after all.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed coughed over the bathroom sink, blood staining the porcelain bowl. Ed winced at the metal taste and the burn in his lungs. He spat the remaining blood into the sink and turned the faucet on. His stomach churned, and he felt bile build up in the back of his throat. His head pounded and his hands shook.

He hadn't felt like this yesterday . . . or a few minutes ago, for that matter.

He pressed his automail arm against his stomach and rubbed his fingers on the sink to help the water get the blood off.

"Mother?"

Ed snapped his head up, and his head throbbed even more.

"Who said that?" Ed asked, pressing his flesh hand against his temple; he gasped at how cold it felt.

"Mother? It's all right. Don't fight it, Mother."

The strange, yet comforting, voice reverberated off the walls. A wave of dizziness overcame Ed and he sunk to his knees to make the room stop spinning.

Water kept rushing out of the faucet.

The train gave the car a small bump, and Ed felt like he was about to empty his entire stomach right then.

"Relax, Mother."

A sudden, searing pain flared up in Ed's side. A scream built up in his throat, but all that came out was a pitiful cough. Blood spewed from his mouth.

"It'll all be over in a minute."


	29. Chapter 29

Red Roses2: I'm not really happy with this chapter, but it kind of needed to go like that. I'm happy I've finally put Izumi in. Pride is turning out to be quite the entertaining character to write.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Scar looked up from his journal suddenly and pulled back his right sleeve. His tattoo glowed red. Heinrich's eyes widened.

"What the hell - ?" the German said.

Scar launched out of his seat and ran to the bathroom door.

"Ed! ED!" Scar shouted. He tried the lock, but he couldn't open the door. He pulled his arm back, thrust his hand upon it, and disintegrated the door. Heinrich stood a ways back, awe-struck and confused.

How'd he do that? _Why'd_ he do that?

The answer to the second question was answered as the dust misted away.

Blood dried on the floor, water ran unattended, and Ed lay unconscious on the floor, his automail arm trapped underneath his body. A young girl knelt next to him, a small smile on her face, her hand pressing against where Ed's scar would be – Ed's shirt and jeans were torn and blood pulsed out of the scar-turned-open-wound, and blood caked the girl's body.

The girl's black hair fell around her face like Trisha Elric's did in those pictures Heinrich saw of her, and her eyes were shaped just like Trisha's; the only difference to their eyes was that this girl's were pitch black, like coal or machine oil. Trisha's had been a gentle gray.

She looked up at Scar with a soft smile.

"Hello. Mother will be all right in a moment or two," the girl said calmly. She brought her hand to her mouth, hacked up spit, and spread said spit across Ed's wound. The bleeding stopped. The wound closed. The girl's smile widened. Satisfied with her work, she wiped the floor with her hand, and the blood disappeared. She stood up, turned off the water, wiped her hand around in the sink, and the blood disappeared.

She turned her eyes onto Scar and Heinrich. Scar's tattoo glowed brighter.

Scar flushed slightly once he realized this girl wasn't wearing anything.

She was clearly not fully developed, so if Scar had to hazard as to what her age was, he would've said seven or eight. But that didn't explain why she was there, where she came from, why she was covered in blood – Ed's blood – or –

"Who are you?" Scar asked, fear creeping up on him.

The girl's eyes curved upward as her smile turned into a grin.

"Pride Elric. Second child of alchemic build-up and physical stress of Edward Elric. It's an honor to meet Mother's Ishbalan guard in person."

She bowed.

Heinrich bit his lip, eyes returning to Ed.

"Edward?"

A groan answered him.

Pride's gaze rested on Heinrich. She walked up to him, as Heinrich made a step toward Ed. Heinrich stiffened.

She reached out and grabbed his shirt.

"Father," she said.

Scar swore Heinrich's eyes were about to pop out of his head.

"_What?_" the German gasped.

Pride wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her cheek into his shirt.

"Mother will be fine. He just needs to rest."

Heinrich stared at her, then at Scar (who was lifting Ed off the floor), then back at her, then back at Scar and Ed.

"Huh?" was all he could manage.

Scar shrugged and carried Ed to a row of seats. He set him down and looked him over for any other injuries. Ed groaned again, and his eyes fluttered open.

"What happ-ened?" Ed grumbled, closing his eyes again.

Scar looked back at Pride. Heinrich looked horribly uncomfortable, confused, and awkward. He seemed to not know whether to hug the girl back or not.

"We don't know, but we're going to find out," Scar said truthfully. "Get some rest, all right?"

Ed grunted consent and seemed to fall into dreamland.

Scar stood up and walked over to Heinrich and Pride. He grabbed the child with his right arm and wrenched her off of Heinrich. He narrowed his eyes.

"Explain what just happened."

Pride's smile widened.

"Of course." She wrapped her arm around Scar's, successfully breaking his hold on her, and pushed him into a seat. Heinrich sat next to Scar, casting a worried look in Ed's direction. Pride sat across from them, not minding at all how she sat.

Scar determinedly stared right into her face. Letting his eyes wander was way too dangerous.

"I'm what I said I was. The by-product of alchemic build-up and physical stress. In this case, it was illness. In Brother Greed's case – ,"

"Brother? Greed?" Heinrich interrupted.

Pride nodded. "There's the original Greed, and then there's my older brother, Greed Elric. He left Mother back in Xing, though I don't think he had an actual body at the time. The electricity did something peculiar that allowed him to exit the body with just his soul and an idea of what he should look like."

Scar raised an eyebrow, not understanding a single word of that, but from the look on Heinrich's face, it struck a cord somewhere.

"What do you mean by Mother and Father?" Heinrich asked.

"By Mother, I mean the one whose alchemy brought us into existence from beginning to end. Mother's transmutation of his brother's body was in exchange for Greed's, my, and two other siblings' existence. Hence the alchemic build-up. Though, with how the Gate is acting up, I'm starting to wonder exactly why we're here in the first place. By Father, I mean the one who gave us an identity. Brother Greed's father is Alphonse Elric. You are my father."

Heinrich's hands tightened their grip on his knees at the mention of Al Elric.

"What do you mean 'I gave you an identity'?" Heinrich said, his eyes brimming with confusion.

Pride's smile started to look condescending. "You're proud of Mother. You're proud of how Mother makes you feel. You're proud Mother loves you, chose you. The moment you felt the most proud of Mother was in front of that grave. This," Pride pointed to her face, "is the image you had in your head when you told the grave how thankful you were for Mother. So I adopted it."

"But how could you know that?!"

Pride giggled.

"Whenever you touch Mother's scar, I know exactly what you're thinking and what you've thought since the last time you touched it. It's the same with my unborn siblings, and it was the case with Brother Greed before he left."

Scar decided to intervene before Heinrich got them too off track.

"Your siblings – how many are there?" Scar demanded.

"Two more. Their appearances and natures will be determined by how Mother is treated."

Scar and Heinrich both furrowed their eyebrows.

"What do you mean by that?" Scar inquired.

Pride laughed.

"When Brother Greed was born, many people wanted Mother as their own. Alphonse Elric, Father, Ling Yao, and the original Greed. Father and Alphonse Elric the most, however. So, Brother Greed became Greed and adopted the appearance of Mother. When I was developing my own appearance and personality, Mother was mostly in contact with Father, and Father is very proud of Mother, so I am Pride. My unborn siblings will be whatever people feel towards Mother."

"Your name and your brother's name," Scar said, "they're the names of sins. Does that mean your siblings must be sins?"

Pride nodded. "My remaining siblings can be Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, or Lust. It's really up to all of you."

Scar grinded his teeth together. This was sounding good at all.

"You mentioned the Gate," Scar added. "What's happening with it now? I thought we closed it for good last time."

Pride shook her head, her smile mocking him.

"The Gate can never be destroyed as long as human transmutation is possible."

Heinrich held his head. Too much information he barely understood. What the hell was the Gate?

Scar slipped off his coat and tossed it to Pride. Pride caught it.

"Put it on. We'll shop for proper clothes when we reach Dublith," Scar said monotonously.

Pride shrugged and pulled the yellow coat on. It swallowed her up, the collar tickling her chin and the tails reaching her ankles.

Heinrich looked over at Ed, his eyebrows knitted together and his frown heavy.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Izumi stood at the train station, her arms crossed and her foot tapping. Sig stood next to her, his umbrella hanging on his arm. The clouds above them threatened to drop rain upon the town, and the dreary weather wasn't good for Izumi's health. Mason jogged up to them and wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Are you sure we need to wait for them here? I mean, are you that worried about him?" Mason asked Izumi.

Izumi nodded.

Her skin crawled as the train finally pulled in. She walked closer to the train entrance, staring expectantly at the door.

Her eyes widened when Scar stepped off, Ed asleep in the Ishbalan's arms and his clothes caked in dried blood.

"What happened!?" Izumi demanded.

Scar merely looked at her, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed hard. An audible sigh distracted Izumi for a second; Ed didn't mention a third companion. . . .

"I have to explain it again?" drawled a young girl who jumped down to the platform, feet bare and face dirty with a flaking brown color – dried blood.

"Ah, no," Scar said. "I'll explain it."

A blond man stepped onto the platform; Izumi guessed that was the man Ed had said he wanted her to meet. His resemblance to Alphonse was uncanny. . . .

Scar turned to look at him. "You take Ed to Lady Izumi's. I'll get Pride clothes."

The blond man nodded and held his arms out to take Ed. Scar gently rested Ed in the man's arms. The man held Ed close to his chest, almost as though he were a child. Ed muttered something unintelligible and nuzzled his cheek into the man's shirt.

Scar took Pride by the hand and bowed his head to Izumi.

"I'll explain what happened when I return. But this girl can't walk around in only my coat. . . ."

Izumi nodded, her confusion still paramount.

Scar would fulfill his word, but she would still try to get it out of this new friend of Ed's. If "friend" was really the right word.

As Scar took the small girl in the direction of clothing shops, Izumi turned her back to the young man and walked toward her house.

"Come on. My place is this way."

The young man quickly followed her. She smirked slightly as she looked over her shoulder to see how wary he was of Sig.

"Don't worry, my husband doesn't bite," Izumi said.

Mason chuckled. "It's Izumi-sensei you have to worry about! Ha ha!"

The young man didn't laugh. He merely gulped.

Hm. Interesting.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Izumi sat down across from "Heinrich", as he had introduced himself as, and crossed her arms once more. She smirked at how much he looked like a scared puppy.

"Does your expression imply that I should be angry with you?" she asked.

Heinrich bowed his head.

"I'm just worried about Edward. . . ." he said, biting his lower lip.

Izumi nodded. "As am I. Which is why you're to tell me what the hell happened to him." She lost her smirk and glared at him. "I'd prefer it if you told me now."

Heinrich's shoulders slumped.

"I don't really understand it. It sounds like it's remarkable, even for alchemy, but everything that's alchemy seems remarkable to be, and I don't really understand it, so I can't really begin to explain what exactly happened, but - ."

"Then tell me what you saw, heard, everything that you _do_ understand!"

Heinrich pushed his back into the chair, eyes wide in fear.

Women did _not_ act like this in Germany. . . . .

"Scar's arm started glowing red and then he panicked and we tried to get to Ed who had gone into the restroom and he somehow destroyed the door and there was blood everywhere and that little girl was there covered in Ed's blood and she said there wasn't anything to worry about and somehow healed Ed's wound and she called me Father and said her name was Pride and then went on about something called the Gate and alchemic build-up and I didn't understand any of it all I really understood was that she has an older brother in Xing and might have two more siblings but I don't want her to, because it was scary and Ed hasn't woken up since then, and I don't know what to do about it!"

Heinrich finally took a breath.

Izumi uncrossed her arms and reached across the table for his hand. Heinrich's eyebrows flew up at the 180 of her attitude. She gave him a soft smile.

"Thank you for the information. My husband called the doctor, and he should be here momentarily. We'll see if Ed really will be okay."

Heinrich nodded and looked down. He hoped she was right. He really did.

Because he wasn't sure he could live without Edward now that he knew him, now that he had him.

Izumi leaned back in her chair.

"Heinrich, right?"

He nodded again.

"How did you meet Ed?"

Heinrich forced a smile.

"That's a story you'll probably understand more than I will, but . . . ."

The German went on to explain how he met Hoenheim and how Ed had become a close friend of his.

Izumi nodded and listened, unaware that Heinrich was leaving out one _tiny_ detail of their relationship.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Pride twirled in the Curtis' doorway, skin-tight black clothes covering her skin from the top of her neck to the ends of her ankles. Heinrich raised an eyebrow at Scar. Scar shrugged, both men painfully aware of her panty line. Izumi chuckled.

"So this is the newest homunculus?" Izumi asked.

Scar nodded, having explained the story before letting Pride enter the room.

Izumi knelt down to Pride's eye level.

"It's very nice to meet you, Pride-chan," Izumi said.

Pride smiled back at her.

"The pleasure is mine, Izumi-sensei."

"Let me guess: you refused to let Scar have any input whatsoever?"

The homunculus nodded proudly. Izumi shook her head and sent a smirk in Scar's direction. Scar gave her a disapproving look.

Heinrich wondered if he'd ever understand the silent messages people kept sending each other here.

Pride tilted her head to see into the room Ed rested in. She narrowed her eyes at the sight of a man in a white coat.

"Who's that?" she demanded.

Izumi glanced over her shoulder to see what Pride was looking at.

"That's just the doctor. No offense, but with all that blood, it's hard to believe that Edward is okay."

Pride put her hands on her hips and looked like she wanted to argue, but she was cut off.

A groan traveled from the back room.

"Alfons?"

Izumi's eyebrows flew up when she noticed Heinrich's reaction to that name.

"Ed?" Heinrich said, hurrying to the back room.

Izumi stood up and followed Heinrich with her eyes.

His name was Alfons.

He failed to mention that when he introduced himself.

Sounded like an important detail to _Izumi._

"Are you okay?" Heinrich asked.

Ed groaned, pushed himself up, and held his head.

"I feel like Winry clocked me in the head with her wrench."

Heinrich couldn't help but chuckle at that.

Izumi narrowed her eyes.

_Teacher? What's your opinion on guys liking guys? Why would you ask a question like that, Edward? Just curious! Sheesh! Why do you always have to turn an innocent question into an interrogation or torture session!? A laugh at his expense. It's just that you make such a big deal out of these things. A blush crossing his cheeks. Am not. Notice how uncomfortable he is and sigh exasperatedly. It doesn't matter to me, Edward. It's a fact of life that everyone is different, just as it is a fact of life that people die. If a person can't live with life, then they have a difficult existence ahead of them. Don't forget that. Okay. Thanks, Teacher. _

She had had that conversation with Ed years ago – back when he was twelve. She hadn't really thought about it since then. . . . Like she said, it didn't matter to her. But . . . .

She'd just have to keep an eye on this "Alfons Heinrich". That's all.


	30. Chapter 30

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Mustang swallowed hard as he lifted his hand to the door. He hesitated, once more, and looked over his shoulder at Havoc and Fuery. Havoc nodded. Fuery gulped.

"Are we _sure_ we want to do this?" Fuery asked.

Havoc nodded again, biting down on his cigarette.

"We have to," Havoc insisted.

Mustang nodded in agreement and finally knocked on the door. They heard footsteps, and the door creaked open. Ran Fan's eyes narrowed at them as she pulled the door open farther.

"Colonel Mustang. Lieutenant Havoc. Master Sergeant Fuery," Ran Fan said.

The three men nodded.

"Is Al home?" Mustang questioned grimly.

Ran Fan furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

"We just want to talk to him," Fuery assured her.

"Alone," Havoc added, his teeth grinding on his cigarette.

Ran Fan narrowed her eyes so much, it almost looked like she had closed her eyes.

"Go away," she spat bitterly and tried to close the door on them.

Mustang stuck his wrist between the door and the doorway, his glove-clad index and middle finger putting fiction on his thumb. Ran Fan glared at those fingers, daring him to snap them.

"Don't turn this into a criminal case," Mustang growled. "We're asking nicely. Turn us away now, and we come back with a warrant. Keep fighting, and you'll regret it."

Silence rang through the night with a deafening crack. The door dug into Mustang's wrist.

Havoc moved his hand to where his gun should've been, then remembered Fuhrer Armstrong's only condition to letting Havoc out of jail before Mustang: he must have his gun license revoked for at least a year. He grinded his teeth, the tobacco fraying into his mouth.

"Please, Ms. Yao?" Fuery begged.

"Ran Fan?" Al's voice floated through the crack in the door. "What are you doing?"

A happy cry alerted the military officials that Ming Elric most certainly was still awake.

"Al, we need to talk to you!" Mustang said.

Some scuffling and whispering exchanged between Ran Fan and Al, and the door swung wide open. Al held Ming in one arm, the one-year-old sucking her thumb cheerfully and clinging to her daddy's shirt.

What Gracia told him still rang in Mustang's head, and what he saw before him made his blood run cold.

_Ed collapsed in his arms, sobbing himself to death and crying his eyes out. Ed being held like a child in his father's arms – in the arms of the man he once swore he'd never forgive, never love, never care for. Ed's empty gaze when he asked him where Al was. _

Havoc bit through his cigarette, the butt falling from his lips, the other half moist with his saliva. He tightened his fists, trying to tell himself to calm down.

_Mustang holding Ed up just barely, Ed hanging off the colonel's arms like a rag or a doll as he cried his heart out. _

Fuery gulped, not understanding how Havoc and Mustang could be so sure of their accusation when Al was seemingly happily married and a parent.

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Al asked as they wandered into the living room.

Mustang scanned the living room, noting the panda bear throw and the Xingese styled rug. Everything looked elegant and royal, giving him the suspicion that Mei's half-brother sent it from the palace. His mouth went dry.

"It's about Ed," Fuery answered honestly, fidgeting with his fingers.

Al's eyes widened.

"Is he okay? What happened?"

"Nothing's happened," Mustang answered.

Al relaxed a little.

"Oh. Then what is it?"

Mustang and Havoc exchanged a look.

"It's not something we want to discuss in front of others," Havoc said, sending a stern glare in Ran Fan's direction.

Ran Fan glared back.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Al?" Mei asked, walking into the living room. "What's going on?"

Al explained to his wife. Ming let out a gurgle. Fuery smiled, the baby calming his nerves somewhat. Havoc, on the other hand, stiffened.

_Ed's deadened eyes that day he tried to cheer him up with the hot chocolate. The almost desperate smile when Havoc talked to him before mentioning the girlfriend thing. _

Mustang bowed his head, not sure how long he could keep the question bottled up in his chest.

"Well," Mei said, "Whatever it is, it can't be anything I shouldn't know about. Right, Al?"

"I don't think so," Al agreed.

_I don't think so, he says._ Havoc gritted his teeth.

"_Fine_," Mustang hissed. "_Be_ that way. Alphonse Elric," Al looked at him so innocently curious, it almost made him stop. "Did you sleep with your brother?"

The only one who made a sound was Ming with her oblivious gurgles.

Ran Fan's eyes widened, shocked. Al's eyebrows flew up. Mei's face was blank of any reaction whatsoever. Fuery flinched at the question. Havoc took out another cigarette and bit the end. Mustang refused to let his stern gaze waver.

"Well?" Mustang said.

"What does it have to do with anything?" Al asked, tightening his hold on Ming.

Ran Fan swerved her shocked expression onto Al.

"What does it have to do with anything!? Are you saying you have!?" Ran Fan shouted.

Mei patted a hand on Al's shoulder. "It's okay, Ran Fan. It's nothing I didn't know about already."

Mustang's, Havoc's, Fuery's, and Ran Fan's jaws all dropped in unison. Mei merely leaned over and pulled Ming out of Al's arms.

"It's almost Ming's bedtime. I'll get her ready. When you're done talking to them, be sure to come up and tuck her in. She likes it when you do that." Mei told Al.

"Okay," Al replied, reluctantly letting go of his daughter.

Mei disappeared up the stairs, cooing over their little girl.

"She – she _knows_?" Mustang stammered.

"You – you and Ed really did - ?" Fuery stuttered.

"How – how could you - ?" Ran Fan stumbled.

Havoc closed his mouth, picked his cigarette back up, and shoved it into his mouth. He bit hard on it, his teeth almost ripping it in half again.

"So you're the one who made him cry like that?" Havoc said, his voice frightfully calm.

They could hear Al swallow. Havoc leaned back in the Xingese-Amestrian cross-styled couch.

"He was really depressed for a long damn time, too. Didn't even bother to pretend everything was okay."

A sick, sadistic pleasure came from the visible tensing of Al's body.

"Never would have thought the asshole that could make him cry so hard would've been you. Nice work, there. You should make a career out of breaking hearts, you're that good."

"Havoc!" Fuery gasped. "That's uncalled for!"

"I don't care!" Havoc snapped back.

Mustang held a hand up. Both of his subordinates fell silent.

"We just wanted to check," Mustang half-lied. He crossed his arms and looked Al in the guilt-ridden eye. "You'd know who Ed's new boyfriend is, correct?"

Al nodded.

BAM!

The men looked in Ran Fan's direction to see a blur of her running up the stairs and a fist-sized dent in the wall. Mustang returned his gaze to Al almost immediately.

"Could you tell us who it is?"

"Why?" Al asked.

"We're worried about him," was all Mustang said.

Al sighed.

"Heinrich."

Havoc and Mustang raised their eyebrows.

"Really?" Havoc asked.

"Who's Heinrich?" Fuery asked. He was promptly ignored.

"Know how they got together?" Havoc inquired.

Al shook his head.

"Anything you know that could cause Ed's safety to be in jeopardy?" Mustang questioned.

Al bit his lip and gulped. He cast his gaze to the side. Havoc furrowed his eyebrows.

"Spit it out!" Havoc snapped.

Al flinched. "I – It might just be me who thinks this but – but I think - ," _Heinrich's arms around Ed's neck as he told Ling Ed wasn't available. Heinrich being in Ed's room the first night the Yao-Elric family spent in Central. That smug look Heinrich would get when Ed would somehow pay him more attention than he would Al, even if for a moment. _"I think Heinrich is a little possessive, and Ed doesn't have a good sense of where the line between normal relationship issues and serious issues. With – with me he never even considered I'd be in the wrong and – and I'm worried he's doing the same with Heinrich."

Fuery bit his lower lip. "What do you mean by "serious issues"?"

Al closed his eyes. _Blood on the sheets, an awkward bruise on his back where he hit the wall or the floor, bleeding lip, a hicky lasting for way too long, bruises in the shape of a hand on his waist or hip ( sometimes even his shoulder), refusing to make a number 2 unless completely necessary because the he had been rubbed raw on the inside, saying it was okay, that it wasn't a big deal. _

"I mean he doesn't recognize abuse as abuse."

Fuery's eyes widened. Mustang's eyebrows flew up. Havoc stopped chewing on his cigarette.

Al gripped his knees and forced back a sob.

"I – I didn't notice for so long, it was scary. There wasn't any way I could get him to tell me the truth either. . . . Damn it!" Al grabbed the sides of his head and fisted his hair. "_Stupid_ Brother with his _stupid_ idea of _stupid_ me being fucking _perfect _no matter _what_ and not telling me it _hurt_ and making me figure it out on my _own_!" Tears sprung in his eyes, but he refused to cry. "Then me with my _stupid_ idea that _leaving_ would make everything _better_. I don't regret meeting Mei or having a baby, but I just wish it happened when I wasn't so _fucked up_!"

Al breathed hard, not noticing that he cursed audibly for the first time. It was stupid of Ed, it was stupid of him, it was stupid of both of them, and both of them paid for it.

Fuery sat next to Al and pulled him into a hug. Al inhaled sharply.

"It's okay, Al. Mustang, Havoc, and I just need to know so we can help everyone else look after him. We know you love your brother, so that's why we're here." Fuery said comfortingly.

Mustang gave a small smile as Al broke down sobbing on Fuery's shoulder, Fuery patting the younger man's back and whispering comforting things to him. At least Al was still sensitive, kind, caring Al. So what if there was a part of him he never expected?

Havoc tried to grab a firmer hold on his anger, but it dissipated into nothing as he watched the younger Elric brother cry. At least the kid (not really a kid anymore, though, huh?) was beating himself over it.

"Just so we're clear," Mustang said calmly. "You didn't mean to hurt him. Right?"

Al broke out of Fuery's hug and leaned in toward Mustang, his hand smacking the ottoman.

"Of course not!"

Mustang held up his hands, as though in surrender.

"Just checking," the colonel insisted.

Al furrowed his eyebrows, noted Mustang's benign smile, and calmed down too. His muscles contracted and he slumped like a rag doll into the couch. The Elric let out a heavy sigh.

"We should be able to keep a better eye on him now that we know. Okay?" Mustang reassured him.

Al smiled weakly.

"Yeah. Okay."

Havoc stood up, took out his lighter, and flicked it open. The flame flickered for a couple seconds before he lit his cigarette.

"We've taken up enough of your time. Thanks for the info, Al." Havoc said. Al nodded.

The father shut the door behind them and lightly smacked his forehead on the oak door.

_I'm fine, Al. Everything's fine. I love you. _

With a great effort, he climbed up the stairs to Ming's room, taking care to ignore Ran Fan's betrayed glare. He peeked into Ming's room, Mei hovering over the bassinet, cooing. A small smile crossed his face and he snuck into the room. He leaned over the other side of the bassinet, and his daughter cried out happily.

"Did the loud noises keep you up?" Al asked in that baby voice that everyone used around infants and cute animals.

"Da-da!"

Al and Mei gasped.

"What?" they asked in unison.

"Da-da!"

They shared a look.

"When'd she start talking?" Al asked, dumbfounded.

"She hasn't." Mei said, equally astonished.

"Da-da!"

"So," Al pointed at Ming. "That's her first word?"

Mei nodded. They both looked back at their daughter, the fact of the matter slowly sinking in.

Mei jumped up, clapped her hands together and squealed. "Ran Fan! Dad! Ming said her first word!"

Al picked Ming up and cradled her in his arms. Unbeknownst to him, the overhead light made the light around his head appear like a halo to little Ming. Ming squealed happily along with her mother. Al smiled, his glee silent while his wife's quite vocal, and yet both completely understood by the one-year-old.

Fu seemed unperturbed at being woken from his sleep to join in with his youngest daughter's happiness. Ran Fan glared at Al once Ming demonstrated for them once more.

Al couldn't bring himself to care what she thought.

~!#$%^&*()_+

The doctor pulled Izumi to the side as Heinrich and Scar explained what happened to him on the train. Izumi bent her head closer to his to hear his whisper better. Sig stood close to his wife. The doctor looked a little dubious.

"I just can't explain it, Miss Izumi," the doctor said. "I did a full body examination like you told me, but there isn't physically anything wrong with him anymore. His breathing implies recent lung scarring, but from what his Heinrich friend told me, it _healing_ so fast doesn't make any sense."

"What would it be from?" Izumi muttered.

The doctor adjusted his coat. "The friend said it might've caught something called TB, which I've never heard of, but is supposed to be incurable and lethal. And yet his lungs are perfectly fine now. He'll be breathing completely normal in a few days. He has no open sores or wounds – anywhere. He _has_ lost a lot of blood, though, so make sure he gets plenty of fluids and sugar. And. . . ."

Izumi furrowed her eyebrows at the hesitation.

"Spit it out!" she said a little too loud.

Heinrich, Ed, Scar, Mason and Pride looked over at her. The doctor cleared his throat and pulled her ear closer to his mouth. He cupped his hand around his mouth and whispered in her ear.

"I wouldn't have checked if it hadn't been slightly apparent from the outside, but he has severe scarring in the rectum area. Have any idea where that could've come from?"

Izumi's eyes widened, alerting Sig. The doctor pulled away from her, and she gaped at him, stunned.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. You may want to talk to him about it."

Izumi nodded vaguely as the doctor walked out. She stared at Ed, who was now talking to Pride. Pride held out her hand, and he shook it, then she jumped into his arms and he caught her. Ed started laughing and adjusted her so she was sitting in his lap.

"You're adorable!" Ed exclaimed. Pride glowed with her namesake.

"I know," she said, flipping her hair back.

Heinrich and Ed both laughed. Scar's mouth even twitched upward. Mason chuckled.

"Weird birth aside, she's quite the character," Mason said, grinning at Izumi. "Never really pictured Ed as a parent, though!" His grin slipped off at Izumi's expression. "Izumi?"

Sig lifted a hand to lay on her shoulder, but she moved to the kitchen, pulled out a glass and a jug of juice, and poured.

"You heard the doctor. He's to get plenty of fluids. Better now than latter. I want to see if he's slacked off any or not." she said.

Mason and Sig frowned.

"Izumi. . . ." Sig said, but he was ignored as she went about doing what she needed to do.

Edward – and Alphonse – was like a son to Izumi and Sig, a brother to Mason. And Izumi was going to get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing she did. Because that's what mothers do.


	31. Chapter 31

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

The chink and clink of plates and silverware reverberated through the kitchen as the rather large group ate. Though it would have been the care anyway, Ed's glass was filled to the brim with juice while everyone else's – except for Pride's – was filled with milk.

Upon tasting milk, Pride had made a face and pushed it away. Ed had burst out laughing while Izumi shook her head. Scar had rolled his eyes, and Mason laughed with Ed.

Food scattered Ed's plate like it was a connect-the-dots game, and Ed ate slower than everyone else for once. Half-way through the meal, he set his utensils down and held his head.

Everyone else halted, and before anyone could say anything, Ed flashed them a "really, I'm fine" smile – the one where the corners of his mouth never quite reach his eyes, but he's still showing his teeth, just enough so they can see his canines. Heinrich and Izumi furrowed their eyebrows, Heinrich looking like he was still going to say something, but Pride shook her head and continued eating.

Izumi gulped her drink down almost ferociously as she fought the urge to ask her questions now. Now wasn't the time. Now would just embarrass him, and then she'd never get an answer.

How was she going to ask it, anyway? The doctor says you have some scarring, so who the hell are you letting fuck you so hard? In her head, it sounded okay, but who knew how Ed was going to react to it. Sometimes the direct method was best, and other times it was just going to make things harder than it had to be.

She didn't want to think of the other thing it could've been from. This was _Edward_ _Elric_, the kid who had demanded she take him and his little brother in for training, the kid who _actually tried human transmutation_, lost a leg, sacrificed his arm to get his brother's soul into a suit of armor, _joined the fucking military_ as a _cripple_ – albeit with kick-ass automail – at the age of _twelve_, and saved the world from mass-murdering homunculi. This was Edward Elric, one of the two boys she thought of as her own children.

She didn't want to think that someone could have pinned him down and raped him.

She just had to tell herself Ed wouldn't have let that happen. . . . At least without a fight. . . . No, there wasn't anyone who would want to hurt Ed who would be able to beat him. He was her student after all.

But what about Greed?

She froze in mid-chew, the fork still in her mouth.

Greed. Greed was fast. Greed was powerful. Greed _really _liked Edward, and not in the nice, safe "like" either. Greed even knew where to push Ed's buttons so he wouldn't fight back. . . .

"Teacher?"

Izumi snapped her head up. Ed's eyebrows were knitted together, and he looked at her, concerned.

"Is everything okay?"

Izumi pulled the fork out of her mouth and stood up.

"Excuse me," she muttered, left the table, and went straight into the bathroom.

She glimpsed herself in the mirror and glared at her reflection.

It was a possibility. Yes. That didn't mean it was true. After all, he'd tell someone. Right?

_Not if it was because Greed threatened Al_.

Izumi's eyes widened as she realized that. If Al would be affected in any way because of it, Ed would be willing to take something like that to his grave. She shook her head.

She'd just have to ask. It could be just between them. She'd just have to ask. No point in letting her imagination run wild.

She turned the faucet on, cupped her hands under the flow of the water, and splashed the cold liquid onto her face. She repeated the motion a few times, then turned the faucet off, grabbed a towel, and dried her face. She held the towel over her eyes longer than necessary.

A small sob escaped her lips and her shoulders started shaking.

No, she wasn't crying.

One sob turned into many, and soon she couldn't stop.

"Izumi?" Sig's voice broke into the suffocating silence.

Outside the bathroom, Mason sighed and set his silverware down. He reached across the table and grasped Ed's wrist. Ed looked at him, concern for Izumi clear in his eyes and not a little confusion was there, too. Mason forced a smile.

"You gave her a bit of a scare. Mind talking to her about it?"

Ed's expression emboldened. He nodded, stood up, and walked to the bathroom door.

"Teacher? Want to talk about it?"

In the bathroom, Izumi finally removed her face from the towel after wiping her cheeks with it. She took a deep breath and tossed the towel to the side. She opened the door and came face-to-face with Edward, Sig standing next to the blond. She nodded resolutely.

"Yes, I want to talk about it," she answered, her voice and determination as powerful as ever.

Ed smiled slightly. Izumi rubbed the back of her neck.

"It may be best to talk about it outside."

"Yeah," Ed agreed.

The two walked outside, Ed shooting Heinrich a look that said "don't worry". Heinrich gave him an exasperated look that said "easier said than done with you". Ed's eyes smiled embarrassedly back, and both Ed and Izumi disappeared from view.

Ed hoisted himself onto a crate and placed his hands on his knees.

"What's bothering you, Teach?" Ed asked.

Izumi also drug her butt onto a crate, but sat with her legs criss-crossed and her elbows leaning on her knees. She rested her chin in her palm.

"Edward," she took a deep breath. "The doctor said he found severe scarring. That can't be from anything you got up to in a fight." Ed raised an eyebrow. Izumi narrowed her eyes. Slowly, Ed's eyes widened and a blush covered his cheeks. They stared at each other for a long moment. Izumi's hand gripped itself into a fist. "Please tell the truth. Edward, did someone rape you?"

Panic spasmed in his face. "No! I swear!"

Izumi let out a sigh of relief. She felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders.

"That's good. But where did it come from?"

Ed's face turned bright red, and he cast his gaze to the side. He mumbled under his breath.

"Sorry. Didn't catch that."

"My ex-boyfriend," Ed muttered through gritted teeth.

Izumi raised an eyebrow.

"Ex? You've been dating?"

Ed's blush turned heavier.

"I _guess_ you could say that. . . ."

Izumi furrowed her eyebrows.

"Edward." The blond looked up at her, apprehensive. "Explain."

"Well," Ed fidgeted as he talked and diverted his gaze to something else – anything else. "I've never actually been on a _date_ date, but I've been in love and – well," His blush darkened. "I think you can figure out what else."

Izumi narrowed her eyes. "This ex of yours – did he love you?"

"Of course he did! He does! Just – just not like that anymore. . . ." Watching Ed's face go from defensive to almost anguished was painful.

At least she knew it was just rough sex. A little rougher than she would've liked, but she can't run his life for him.

"Who was he?"

Ed froze in – fear? Izumi picked up the hint that she wasn't going to like this.

"Edward, it's not like it's human transmutation or you joining the military. I won't be angry. I promise."

Ed frowned and shook his head.

"Edward!"

He flinched and shook his head again. Dread crawled up her spine; why was this guy's identity a secret? Did he suspect what she was thinking: that she was planning to beat the bastard up on principle? Or was he someone that most people would disapprove of?

"Why won't you tell me?"

Ed bit his lip and hung his head.

"I don't want you to be ashamed of me . . . or him."

Izumi's eyebrows flew up. "I know him? Personally?"

Ed nodded slowly, his body tense.

She ran through all the people she knew Edward knew who she had a personal relationship with. Colonel Bastard was out; she hardly talked to the man, and they had ended up having a brawl. There wasn't any way it was Major Armstrong, or the now General Miles; Ed had made it clear that Armstrong scared him somewhat and Miles had been married last she checked. Couldn't be any of Colonel Bastard's or Armstrong's underlings – she knew them even less. She would've considered Mason if he hadn't been with her and Sig in the shop the entire time Ed could've possibly had a relationship with someone and have her not know about it. Sig loved her and was completely straight, so he was out. She just met the new boyfriend, and Ed would never be able to look past Scar's past enough to start a romantic relationship with him. Even if Hoenheim was the type of molest his children, there was no way Ed would take that quietly.

The only person left was Al, but that was prepost –

Or was it?

_Izumi laid a wet towel on Ed's forehead. The nine-year-old's face was flushed with fever, and his body shivered. Blood seeped through the bandages on his right shoulder. According to Al, a fox had bit Ed soon into the island assignment, and it had never properly healed, thus resulting in the bad infection and fever. _

_Al sat perched on a stool close to Ed, gripping his hand. His small mouth was pressed into a thin line, his eyebrows furrowed so closely together it looked like he had a unibrow, and tears pricked in his eyes. _

_It was unclear whether Ed was conscious and just refused to open his eyes or was asleep and having a fever-induced nightmare. He whimpered in pain and clung onto Al like he was his lifeline. _

"_A-Al?" Ed gasped, almost desperately. Izumi flinched at the sound. She wasn't used to taking care of children, especially sick ones. _

"_I'm here, Ed," Al assured him, standing up and touching Ed's bicep. _Like a worried wife.

"_Al, I'm sorry." _

_Al blanched, the emotional pain evident. _

"_Don't be silly. There isn't anything to be sorry for. You'll get better, and then we can start our training, Brother." _

_Izumi left the room to get the medicine the doctor had dropped by. _When she thought about it, she had felt like Al was checking to make sure she was actually leaving. _When Izumi returned, Al was hovering over his brother and looked up suddenly, _guiltily_, and backed off. _

"_Careful, Alphonse. We don't want you to get sick, too." _

_Al nodded. _

Now that she thought about it, Sig had asked her a strange question soon after Ed's fever was cured.

"_Izumi, is it normal for small children to kiss their siblings on the lips?" Sig asked. _

_Izumi raised an eyebrow. _

"_I don't know of anyone who did. Why?" _

_Sig jabbed his thumb in the direction of the guest room Ed and Al were sharing. _

"_The boys . . . ." _

_Izumi furrowed her eyebrows, got up, crossed the room, and dialed the doctor's number. _

_When she explained her husband's question, the doctor actually laughed. _

"_You said they were from Risembool, correct?" _

_  
"Yes. . . ." _

"_In rural areas, family ties can range from arguments and grudges that most people can't understand to closer-than-appropriate tendencies. It's no comment on the boys themselves, but their upbringing. They don't have a father, and their mother died recently. It's natural that they try to comfort each other in ways that their mother may have comforted them. Some parents do give small pecks on the lips with their children. There's nothing incestuous or perverted about it." _

"_If you say so." _

_After a proper goodbye, she hung up, but she didn't quite buy the doctor's explanation. _

"Was it Alphonse?"

Ed flinched, which was all the answer she needed.

"How long?"

Ed stayed quiet for a long time.

"Six years."

Izumi's eyes widened considerably.

"What happened to make it change?"

Ed hugged his arms and he hunched his shoulders.

"I don't really know. He – he said something about not being good for me. . . . But I don't know what he was talking about."

Izumi nodded, understanding where Al would be coming from with that. She couldn't even imagine what it must've looked like before it was scarred issue, or how Ed must've looked while it was healing. No, she could imagine that last one. And it would be exactly what would make Al cringe and hate himself.

"So how are you two now?" she asked.

Ed finally looked up at her. "Well, I'm kind of dating Alfons now," Ed vaguely gestured to the house. "And Al's married and has a baby."

. . . Wait. Rewind. _What?_

Ed continued at Izumi's dumbstruck expression.

"We broke up about . . . a little over a year ago, I think. He met a girl named Mei, married her, and now they have a one-year-old daughter." Ed smiled at the mention of the baby. "Ming's really cute. Looks just like her mom, but she's a pretty adventurous little baby. She crawled into Alfons's tool bag and started playing with his wrenches and screwdrivers. It was kind of funny, especially when she started mouthing on them. She has quite the grip, too. Alfons almost couldn't rescue his tools!" Ed let out a small laugh.

Izumi swallowed. "How soon did he get married?"

Ed shrugged. "I don't really know. I wasn't invited to the wedding. Dad was, though."

A vein in Izumi's forehead twitched. _What?_

"I guess they got married a few months after."

The vein twitched even more.

"Oh really? And when did you and Heinrich get together?"

"Um, well, Dad told him he could move in with us about five months afterwards. . . . We got to know each other over . . . four or so months. I guess you could say we got together nine, ten months later."

"And he didn't invite you to the wedding? Why was that?"

Ed stared at her, confused. "Um, I guess because he didn't want to upset me."

"Then why'd he get married?"

"Uh. . . ."

Ed scratched his cheek, then shrugged.

The vein in Izumi's forehead throbbed violently. Her body trembled in anger.

This was where her understanding of Al ceased to exist.

"Okay. Fine. End of conversation."

Ed tilted his head to the side.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Ed shrugged and hopped off the crate.

"Um, okay."

Ed went back into the house while Izumi fumed silently.

She would be sure to give Al a surprise visit soon. But for now . . . .

She pushed off of the crate and stomped towards the forest where some poor trees would meet their demise at the hands of her uncontainable fury.

Inside the house, Sig furrowed his eyebrows, concerned.

"Where's Izumi?" he asked.

Ed looked over his shoulder. "Thought she was right behind me. . . ."

The unmistakable sound of a tree cracking down the middle and crashing to the ground echoed to their ears. Everyone paled.

"What was that?" Heinrich asked.

Mason laughed nervously.

"What did you say to her?" Mason questioned.

Ed paled until his face looked like the milk he despised so much.

"But – but she promised not to be mad!" Ed stammered.

The crack of another tree meeting its doom clapped like thunder.

"Th-_that's_ your _teacher_ making that noise?" Heinrich gaped at Ed.

Ed gave him a horrified look. The cracking and the crashing became closer and closer together until the only logical conclusion could possibly be that Izumi wasn't just mad – she was _livid_.

Pride took a moment from the action at hand and looked into the audience. "Please take a moment to pity the forest and Alphonse Elric who will most certainly face that wrath in a later installment. We now return you to your entertainment."


	32. Chapter 32

Red Roses2: I'm . . . not sure what possessed me to write the first part of this chapter. All I have to say about it is that I am a mean person. And sorry this took so long.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Winry glanced at Hoenheim from across the table. Hoenheim stared down at his plate morosely. She sighed, set her utensils down, and crossed her arms. She cleared her throat.

Hoenheim barely spared her a glance.

Winry sighed again.

"Hoenheim, sir," she said.

"Yes?"

"You miss Ed, don't you?"

Hoenheim pushed his plate away, propped his elbows onto the table, and hung his head between his biceps, gripping his hair in his hands.

Winry waited for him to respond.

"I don't know what to do, Winry. You know why Al left a while back, right?" Hoenheim said. Winry nodded, her expression hardening. "I was _there_ when he left. I _stood_ there and watched as Edward's world fell apart. There wasn't anything I could do about it. My presence didn't matter. They didn't even realize I was there." His hands gripped tighter, threatening to pull out his dark blond hair. "Everything that they were doing – it happened under my nose and I didn't even know it was there until it started breaking." _Al crashing his lips into Ed's, kissing hungrily. Ed submitting himself entirely, completely vulnerable to what Al was going to deal him. A small tongue-war, Ed – the man who used to be the little boy that had looked up to him, who had promised to be a good big brother when Al was born (and he was, he most certainly was, no doubt about it), the man who was his __**son**__ – letting Al ravish his mouth, bruise his lips, take his breath away. _"It's been a year since then. And I still don't know how to deal with it. Sometimes I'm so angry at Alphonse I want to - ," Hoenheim gulped, afraid that if he voiced it his thoughts might become a reality.

Winry fidgeted slightly. "Want to what, Hoenheim? I – It's okay to tell me. I can't help, otherwise. Right?"

Hoenheim took a deep breath. "Sometimes I'm so angry at Alphonse I want to break his neck."

Winry flinched, but she didn't say anything, and Hoenheim didn't see it.

"I want to make him feel how much he hurt Edward, feel how Edward suffered while he was gone. Other times, I'm disgusted with myself. Because I love _both_ of my children. I still love Alphonse, as though he were still the little baby Trisha had held in her arms, the little baby Edward had promised to take care of. He – he's _my _baby. And it's terrible that I'm so angry at him half of the time."

Hoenheim was staring at the table, but he no longer saw the actual wood or the nails or the water rings. He saw Ed collapsed in his arms, being held like an infant, crying his heart out.

"All I have to do to feel that anger is _look_ at Edward and remember how much he _cried_. Winry," Hoenheim finally lifted his head and looked her straight in the eye. "Ed didn't care who it was who was holding him. Comforting him. He didn't care it was _me_ trying to dry his tears. He _opened up_ to _me_, let _me_ see his shattered heart. He was in hysterics for _months_. He told me every detail, every secret, every memory he had of Al and him _together_ through those sobs and kept asking me what he did _wrong_!"

Winry's eyes widened. Ed opened up to his father? The man he swore he'd hate as long as he lived? She knew he acted more friendly than he used to, but . . . .

"Ed would still do anything to protect Al. If I ever _did_ go through with what my wrath sorely _wants_ to, Ed would never forgive me. I almost _want_ to do it, just so he could turn his grief into a vengeful rage and try to murder me as many times as he could."

Hoenheim tightened his fists.

"But I know my feelings aren't fair to Al. I do understand what Al was thinking when he left, I understand why he married Mei, I understand all that. But when I remember Ed crying like that, it no longer matters to me that I understand. It's easier to handle when I'm just with Al, no one else to remind me of what happened. When it's just Al and me, I can pretend he still lives with us. I can pretend he never hurt Ed."

Winry forced a smile.

"That's good. It's understandable that you're having problems with it, Hoenheim. But maybe you should see a therapist or something. This is a huge family issue and - ," she began, but Hoenheim continued.

"And my anger isn't just directed at Alphonse anymore. I keep having nightmares that Heinrich will hurt Edward, and that Ed will be worse off than he was before. _Completely_ inconsolable. At least the first time, I had a few ideas on how to help him. But _I _am the one who dragged Heinrich into our lives. _I_ am the one who suggested he live here. And Ed knows that. In my nightmares, when he's not asking why, he's blaming me and pushing me away. And – and they always _end the same!_"

Winry swallowed hard. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could listen to. His fear and anger scared her.

"And – and how do they end?" she dared to ask.

Hoenheim choked back a sob through gritted teeth, hugged his elbows, and hung his head, the trails of hair that fell out of his ponytail curtaining his face.

"Edward's – Edward's blood is always everywhere. His eyes stare up at me, completely empty. The stupid revolver he got from Mustang when he first joined the army that he never fucking uses lying near him."

A choking sound escaped Winry's throat, and she fought back bile as her imagination sprung the description to life.

"Edward wouldn't do that," she stammered, tripping over her words.

"You didn't see him."

_Hoenheim let his pants fall into a heap around his ankles as he started unbuttoning his shirt. The moonlight poured in from the window, the half-moon hovering high in the sky. He tensed as the sounds of sobs reached his ears. No, not again. Please not again. The choked sobs grew louder until there was no way to ignore them without feeling like a jerk. Hoenheim kicked his pants to the side and exited his bedroom, not bothering to slip off his unbuttoned shirt. He walked down the hall to Ed's room and pushed the door open. _

_Ed lay on top of the sheets, curled up into a ball, hyperventilating and sobbing at the same time. He buried his face into the sheets, but that seemed to make him cry harder. He trembled like a cold kitten. Hoenheim cringed at how the image reminded him of his youngest son. The one whose fault this was. _

_Hoenheim lifted Ed's torso up and hugged him. Ed let himself be shifted, gripping onto Hoenheim's shirt instead. He sobbed violently into Hoenheim's chest, either not noticing or not caring that he could feel his father's chest hair against his cheeks and nose. Hoenheim shushed him and rocked him back and forth like he did when Ed had been a toddler. Like he wished he could have when Ed had been a child. _

"_Wh-what did I d-do w-wrong?" Ed choked for the millionth time. _

_Hoenheim did what he always did when Ed asked this; he just kept rocking and shushing him, not even sure how to answer that. _

"_I – I could've changed. I could've!" He hated it when Ed started talking like this. "I'd do anything for him! Anything! All h-he had t-to do was a-ask." Hoenheim tightened his hold on his son, his own tears stinging his eyes. Stop talking like that, Ed. Please, stop talking like that. Ed's breath shuddered as a cough tried to intercept a sob. "I'd __**die**__ for him." _

_Hoenheim froze. No, don't start saying that. Please don't. _

"_He'd just have to ask. I'd die, I'd kill, I'd do __**anything**__ to make him happy. Why – why didn't he ask? I – I thought he l-liked doing me. He – he did like being with me, right?" _

_Ed looked up at him, eyes pleading and fearful. _

"_**Right**__?" _

"_Of course he likes being with you, Edward." He couldn't bring himself to confirm the other. He just couldn't say anything about Ed's sex life. It was bad enough his son kept saying things like "doing me" and "wasn't I a good enough fuck?" He wished Ed would stop talking about his body like it was a toy for Al to play with. _

"_Th-then why'd he __**leave**__**me**__?" Ed cried, reduced to nothing more than sobs, coughs, tears, and shudders. _

_Hoenheim picked Ed up, carefully cradling him in his arms, and carried him to his room. The only room in the whole damn house that didn't somehow remind Ed of Al. In the __**whole damn house**__. _

_He lay Ed on the bed and finally slipped his shirt off. He grabbed the blanket at the end of the bed and wrapped Ed in it. He climbed into the bed and held Ed close, held him long after Ed cried himself to sleep. _

_He remembered how he and Trisha had held Ed in their bed when Ed was one and two. It was a happy memory, but it hurt to know that this wasn't anything like that. _

_There would be absolutely no smile on Ed's face from knowing his father was there to hold him, to protect him. Because Hoenheim couldn't protect him, not from the ache that was destroying him. _

_The last words Ed managed to say before falling asleep echoed through his ears, even when they woke again in the morning, Ed pretending everything was fine so he wouldn't break down at work. _

"_He's perfect. So why couldn't I be good enough? M-maybe it would be better if I just __**died**__." _

Hoenheim's eyes burned with the tears that the memory always brought him.

"Winry, I really do hope Heinrich is good for Edward. Because if he's not, I'll kill the son of a bitch."

Winry knew from the look in his eyes that she shouldn't doubt him.

~!#$%^&*()_+

The door slammed, and all of the men jumped. Izumi stormed into the house, tons of firewood strapped to her back. She pulled it off her back and let it land with a THUNK onto the floor. Sig and Pride were the only ones who didn't look concerned. Heinrich paled considerably and looked like he was going to faint. Ed gulped.

Izumi's expression softened once she saw Ed's nervous expression. She even gave him a small smile.

"I'm not angry at you, don't worry," she said, walking to the sink for a glass of water.

"T-then who _are _you mad at?" Ed asked.

Izumi glanced at him for a moment, then gulped the entire glass of water down.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out at the last second."

Ed frowned. Pride giggled. Sig went to the firewood and dragged it to a more out-of-the-way location. Mason and Scar pretended nothing strange was happening. Heinrich tried not to look like he was watching Izumi warily – and he failed miserably.

"Heinrich, would you mind helping me with the dishes? Mason had something he wanted to show Edward." Izumi said, gathering all the dishes off of the table.

Mason looked at Izumi blankly, and then seemed to "suddenly" remember what he was he "wanted to show Edward". Ed narrowed his eyes but let Mason drag him off. Scar stood up and followed Ed, for lack of anything better to do (and because he didn't want to be blamed for just standing there if Izumi actually did anything to Heinrich – there was no way in hell he was going up against that woman). Pride sat up straighter and actually looked like she was looking forward to what would happen next.

Heinrich didn't trust himself to speak, so he stood and walked up to the sink next to Izumi.

Izumi turned the sink on and started soaping up the dishes. Heinrich grabbed a towel, assuming he'd be drying them.

"So," Izumi started. "You're Ed's boyfriend."

"Yes, ma'am," Heinrich gulped.

"Have you been treating him well?"

Heinrich was pretty sure he imagined the cracking sound that seemed to come from the plate Izumi was holding.

"I think I have been. Ed has a few issues to work through, and I like to think I'm good at helping him with them." Heinrich smiled sadly. "I don't think I can ever fix everything, though."

Izumi made a thoughtful sound, then handed Heinrich the plate and started on a new one.

"You don't seem to know any alchemy. So what is it you do for a living?"

"I build airplanes."

Izumi stopped what she was doing and gave him a puzzled look.

"Heavier-than-air flying machines," Heinrich explained. "Ed said there weren't any here in his dimension, and since I'm not going back to mine, I decided to start building them here. I'm almost done with the first one, and I'm going to try to sell it to the military. Ed says he already has someone who will probably buy it. Of course," Heinrich grinned. "It kind of sounded like he'd threaten him if he didn't buy it, but whatever gets me paid." He chuckled a little.

Izumi chewed the inside of her cheek.

"And you think that will be a good income? It sounds kind of faulty to me."

"Well," Heinrich replied. "Where I'm from, alchemy doesn't even exist. It's just a thing that fairytales are made of. However, I've seen Ed do alchemy, and it's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. And I've just seen him make damp spots in the floor disappear! Ed is confident that I'll get the airplane to work here, even if I'll have to make some adjustments for alchemy to be applied. Since I'll be the only one who knows how to make it, and people everywhere have always dreamed of flying, so yes, I do think it will bring a good income."

Izumi hummed thoughtfully as she handed Heinrich another plate.

"Winry's also teaching me how to make automail," Heinrich added. "So next time Ed's automail malfunctions when she's not around, I can do something about it without hurting him."

Izumi froze.

"It malfunctioned?" she asked.

Heinrich nodded. "Ed had gone to Xing for a mission the military gave him. He went with General Miles and a now-relative of Ed's. Un-unfortunately, Ed didn't exactly come back unharmed. As a result, he developed a phobia of thunder and lighting, and his automail started malfunctioning." Heinrich frowned as he remembered Ed's body twitching and convulsing as electricity thrummed through his body. "It made his automail electrocute him while he was bathing one day. My brother and I are both engineers – my brother dealing with trains – and we did our best with removing the automail, but Ed still screamed, and the last thing I wanted to do was cause Ed more pain after everything he had been through. . . ."

Izumi slowly started washing the dishes, a soft smile on her face.

"So you really care about him, don't you?"

Heinrich nodded. "Yes. I do."

"Good. That means I don't have to beat you to a pulp."

Heinrich laughed nervously.

Pride giggled, alerting the two that they still had an audience. Izumi looked over her shoulder and smirked at her.

"Think your daddy being bruised and beaten is funny, do you?" Izumi teased.

Pride grinned and shrugged, then hopped out of her seat and ran off to find Ed.

Heinrich gave a small smile. He was really that girl's "father", however that was defined. He never thought he'd be a parent. . . . It felt good.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Bring!

Hoenheim dropped the book he held and dashed to the kitchen.

Bring!

Hoenheim jumped over the table and snatched the phone.

Bri - !

"Edward?" Hoenheim asked.

Laughter answered him.

"What? You have nothing better to do than to wait forever for my phone call? Seriously, get a job!"

Hoenheim completely ignored his son's attempts at berating him. He let out a sigh and his muscles relaxed significantly.

"How's the trip?"

He could hear the automail creaking as Ed rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well . . . Izumi insists that instead of going to Youswell, we come back home. Also, I got a call from Fuhrer Armstrong that I'll need to be back sooner than we thought we'd be anyway, because apparently I'm getting a promotion."

Hoenheim's glasses slid down his nose. "Really? That's great."

Ed snorted. "Just gives you another reason to laze about doing nothing. I swear, I'll kick you out on your ass if you don't get yourself a job, no matter what the hell my salary is."

Hoenheim pushed his glasses farther up his nose.

"Ed, are you happy?"

Ed's end was quiet for a moment. "Where the hell is this coming from?"

"Please answer the question. I worry about you."

He could hear Ed's annoyed sigh.

"Yeah, I'm happy. Anyway, can you put Winry on the phone?"

Hoenheim sighed silently. "All right. Winry! It's Ed!"

Winry hurried into the kitchen and took the phone from Hoenheim. Hoenheim stood there, almost looking lost as Winry started a conversation with Ed. Winry's eyes lit up.

"No way! Izumi likes him? That's great, Ed!"

Hoenheim furrowed his eyebrows, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and wandered back into the living room, having a feeling Ed wouldn't be talking to him again during this phone call.

Winry's giggling caused a sudden rush of anger to flood through him, and he gritted his teeth, shook his head, and tensed his muscles. Calm down, Hoenheim. Calm down. Ed was _happy_, for God's sakes. Stop acting like everything was bound to fall apart as soon as Ed let himself open up.

"How's Scar doing? Oh, he's there? Can I talk to him? Thanks, Ed!"

Hoenheim sat back down on the sofa and picked his book back up. He resumed pretending to read it, all the while despairing pitifully.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Edward Heinrich let the smoke and the noise of the train wash over him. The screeching of the wheels calmed him and irritated him at the same time; the sound itself was calming to him, but it irritated him how that train wasn't the one that would bring his younger brother back.

He seated himself on a bench and unfolded the cloth napkin his lunch was hiding in. He picked the sandwich up and bit into it slowly, enjoying the ham, cheese, and lettuce Wendy had put together for him.

He remembered when it had just been him and Alfons in Germany. He had sucked at cooking, and Alfons hadn't exactly been great at it, either, but it was either bread and butter for all their meals courtesy of himself or actual substance courtesy of Alfons.

He sighed. As much as he enjoyed the freedom to travel the streets without fear, he missed Germany. He missed being ignorant of his brother's sex life – he refused to think this Edward Elric would actually become a permanent member of their family. That just . . . wasn't right.

It wasn't that he didn't like Elric. He liked Elric just fine. But seriously. Enough was enough, Alfons. Hurry up and break it off.

"Edward?"

Edward Heinrich looked up, expecting it to be one of his coworkers. His eyes widened when he realized it was one of the train's passengers. A young man who didn't look like he could've been any older than Edward Elric stood just a few feet away from him, eyes shining with confused recognition. Another man, obviously younger, stood next to him, holding onto a couple of suitcases. The younger one wore a strange green hat, but Edward could tell they were both blond.

"May I help you?" Edward asked.

"Ed, it's us. Russell and Fletcher Trigham. When'd you cut your hair?" the older man said.

Edward's face darkened as he realized who he was being mistaken for.

"Sorry. I'm Edward Heinrich. Edward Elric isn't in Central right now. He'll be returning in a couple weeks or so." He went back to his sandwich and almost viciously took another bite.

The two men frowned.

"Are you two related?" the younger asked.

Edward slammed his fists down and glared at him.

"No! I'll never be related to that slut, if I have anything to say about it!"

The man with the green hat gasped. The taller one's eyes widened, then narrowed considerably. Edward regretted it as soon as he said it and averted his eyes from the now-scandalized visitors. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Sorry. You're obviously friends with him, and that was out of line. I can take you to his damn house when I get off work if you don't know where it is."

The two men shared a look.

"No thank you. We'll find it on our own," the older said stiffly. "C'mon, Fletcher."

The younger one – Fletcher – nodded and dragged the suitcases behind them. Edward stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth and chewed aggressively.

Maybe it didn't matter. Maybe he wouldn't ever see them again.

He wondered when he had ever been so damn hopeful.


	33. Chapter 33

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Fletcher dropped the suitcases onto the bed. Russell examined the dormitory curtains and frowned at them. He sighed and pulled them back. Fletcher opened the suitcases, one with his and Russell's clothes, the other filled to the brim with plant seeds. The younger pulled his hat off and tossed it onto the pillow.

Russell sat down on the other bed and grunted.

"Who'd that guy think he was, anyway?" Russell asked, more than a little pissed.

Fletcher swallowed nervously, still the shy boy he had been back when they first met Ed and Al in Xenotime.

"Russell, why would he say such a thing about Ed?" Fletcher asked hesitantly.

Russell shrugged, put his hands behind his head, and flopped onto his back.

"Haven't a clue."

Fletcher made a thoughtful sound and began unpacking. He pulled the drawers out and set his and Russell's clothes into them. Russell grunted again.

"You don't have to do that, you know," he said.

"I know," Fletcher sighed. He gripped the front of his overalls. "It – it just bothers me that someone would say that. . . ."

Russell stood up, walked over to Fletcher, and clapped a hand onto his little brother's shoulder. Fletcher looked up at him.

"It isn't something we should worry about. He's probably just jealous." Russell then crossed the room into the bathroom. "We better freshen up for the welcome dinner. We can't let them deny us the title of state alchemist just because we're a bit dirty, after all."

Fletcher bit his lower lip. "Right." He looked down at the clothes in the drawer, remembering the last time they had seen Ed. It really had been a long time. He wondered if Al had grown any since regaining his new body.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Edward grinned as he caught sight of his younger brother. "Hey! Alfons!"

The other German didn't seem to hear him over the train whistle, but Ed tapped on his shoulder and pointed at Edward. Edward frowned, but decided to shrug it off. He just kept repeating his silent mantra that there wasn't anything wrong with Ed Elric, that he'd like him just fine as long as he ignored the tiny little detail that he was playing Alfons along like a cat with a mouse – _damn it_, there he went again.

"Brother!" He was starting to hate that word; call him by his name, damn it! "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Just getting off work." Edward's eyes landed on Scar, the woman standing next to Scar, and the little girl who was now gripping onto Ed's coat. "Hello, Scar. . . . Who are these two?"

The woman stepped right up to him and held out her hand. "Izumi Curtis, Edward's alchemy teacher."

Edward shook her offered hand. "Edward Heinrich, Alfons's older brother. I'm a train engineer."

Izumi smiled at him, a slight arrogance to it. Edward peered down at the little girl. The girl grinned at him; he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being mocked.

"I'm Pride. I'm a homunculus."

The girl giggled at his blank expression. "That means nothing to you, doesn't it?" she added.

Edward narrowed his eyes at her and decided she didn't like her in the least.

They walked together, and at first it looked like they were all going to Ed's and Hoenheim's house, when Izumi branched off down another street.

"Where are you going?" Ed asked, an anxious expression replacing his happy one. Izumi smiled at Ed.

"Oh, just dropping by to say hello to Al. I got his home address out of the phone book," she said.

Ed frowned, and Pride started giggling. Alfons grinned nervously. Scar walked ahead, giving a small grunt. Edward raised an eyebrow.

"What's with you guys?" Edward asked derisively.

Alfons looked at his brother. "Miss Izumi is . . . intimidating, to say the least."

"She also has one hell of a temper," Ed added, looking like he wanted to follow her but continued on toward his own house.

Edward shrugged and turned to Alfons.

"Drop by the house later, okay? It's been a while since we've talked one-on-one." Edward said.

Alfons smiled.

"Okay. But what's wrong with you coming with us to - ?"

"I have to get home. Help Wendy take care of David." The truth, but not entirely.

He couldn't stand being near Edward Elric any longer.

"All right. See you later then!"

Edward nodded and jogged after Izumi, practically following the woman until he walked around the block. He leaned his back against the wall and sighed.

_Damn it_.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Scar opened the front door, and Winry squealed happily, throwing herself at him. He caught her in his arms and moved out of the doorway. A small smile graced his lips.

"I missed you!" Winry exclaimed, placing a kiss on his cheek. A small blush bubbled across his cheeks.

"I missed you, too," Scar replied.

Hoenheim walked down the stairs, a relieved smile on his face.

"Glad you all are back," the older man said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. His eyebrows flew up at the sight of a little girl holding onto Ed's coat. "Ed? Who's that?"

Winry looked down at the girl, too. Scar rubbed the back of his neck. Heinrich scratched his cheek. Ed picked her up, the girl giggling happily. Hoenheim's eyes widened, the image reminding him of how he and Ed had been so long ago.

"Dad, this is Pride. Long story short, she's a homunculus, and Heinrich and I are kind of her parents." Ed smiled awkwardly – but happily.

Hoenheim merely blinked repeatedly. He pushed his glasses farther up his nose and took a better look at Pride.

"Um. Okay. Nice to – meet you . . . Pride." Hoenheim gave an awkward wave. Pride waved back.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Edward Heinrich froze as his fork reached his mouth. Wendy looked up from attempting to feed David solid foods.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Edward didn't respond. He suddenly remembered something very important. At least, important to him.

That kid, Pride . . . he had assumed she was that Izumi lady's daughter . . . but Pride didn't walk off with Izumi, like one's child would have. She always kept a hold on Ed's coat, followed Ed home . . . .

No. No, no, no, no, no. That couldn't be.

Edward Elric had a kid, and Alfons was still with the guy?

_What the hell?_

Edward slammed his fork down. Anger flashed in his eyes, air blew out of his nose, and he gritted his teeth. Wendy looked at him cautiously.

"Edward?"

"That - !" His body trembled, and his hands balled into fists. "That _whore_!"

Wendy covered David's ears.

"Edward, what's going on?" she demanded.

Edward ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. Wendy's expression softened as she heard choked sobs and saw angry tears leak from his eyelids.

"Edward? Honey?"

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed sneezed, then sneezed again. Pride frowned – her first frown. Heinrich tensed at it.

"Pride?" Heinrich asked.

Pride shrugged and looked around the room – Ed's room.

"Will this be my room?" she inquired.

Ed knelt down to her eye-level. "Would you like it to be?"

Pride looked around the room once more and nodded. Ed grinned at her. "Then sure it is! Just let me move my clothes and such into Daddy's room, okay?"

Pride gave an approving nod. Ed then proceeded to do just as he said. Once Ed's back was turned, Pride pulled at Heinrich's shirt. Heinrich knelt down, and Pride cupped her hands around Heinrich's ear.

"Someone's saying bad things about Mother," Pride whispered.

Heinrich furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you know who?"

Pride shook her head. Heinrich gave her a reassuring smile and patted her head. "If it's something to worry about, we'll learn about it soon enough."

Pride shrugged, and then Ed turned around, and they merely grinned at him.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Knock, knock, knock, knock.

Al froze in mid-praise for Ming's first steps. Ming looked up at her daddy curiously. "Dada?"

Knock, knock, knock, knock.

Mei crossed the living room into the entry way and opened the door.

"Hi. Is this the home of Alphonse Elric?" asked a _very_ familiar female voice.

"Yes, it is," Mei confirmed. "Um, who are you?"

Al picked Ming up – in case he needed a fool-proof shield – cradled her in his arms, and walked into the entry way.

"Hi, Teacher," Al greeted meekly.

Izumi smiled, but Al could tell it was rather forced.

"Hello, Al. Edward told me you got married." Izumi said as she stepped inside the house, the door closing behind her. "So I decided to come up here to Central with him to see you." Al nodded, too stunned and nervously suspicious to say anything.

_What was she doing here_?

Izumi's eyes landed on Ming, and her gaze softened.

"So this is your little girl."

"Yeah," Al replied lamely.

Ming gurgled happily and waved at Izumi. Izumi gave a small wave back.

"You're a good little girl, aren't you? You going to be an alchemist like Daddy?" Izumi cooed. Ming shrieked cheerfully. Al smiled.

"Actually, Mei knows some alchemy, too." Al admitted. Mei blushed.

"Well, yes. Just some simple Xingese style, that's all."

Al could see the tension and anger that Izumi seemed to have been waiting to unleash on him dissipate. Al's smile widened.

Good. He hadn't especially wanted to get beaten up that day, anyway.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich raised an eyebrow at a box that Ed kicked underneath the bed. Ed walked around the bed to where he had plopped his clothes and picked his shirts back up.

"Which drawer can I put these in?" Ed asked.

Heinrich smiled, a little concerned. "Ed, it's your house. Put them wherever you want."

Ed's cheeks flushed a bright crimson, and the alchemist looked down at the floor. "W-well, it's your room so - ."

Heinrich lifted Ed's chin and kissed him on the lips.

"It doesn't matter to me, so you pick."

Ed smiled, then turned back to the dresser and commenced to deposit his clothes into Heinrich's drawers. While Ed was preoccupied with that, Heinrich bent down and dragged the box back out. He glanced at Ed's back, determined Ed wouldn't be turning back around any time soon, and lifted the top off.

His eyes widened and his face turned a bright vermillion as he realized what was in the box. Why on Earth did Ed have _this_ in his possession? Slowly, he lifted out the dress. The frilly sleeves, the lacy bodice, the poofy, multi-layered – pleated? – skirt, all of it boggled his mind. He peeked into the bottom of the box and turned a deeper red at the sight of silken, lacy panties, and a black-and-white lace garter belt.

Heinrich heard the shifting of weight on his bed too late. He looked up at Ed, on his hands and knees on the bed, leaning over the edge to see what Heinrich was getting up to. Ed balked, and a strange strangling sound escaped his throat. He turned several shades of red.

"W-what are you doing with that?" Ed stammered.

"I was going to ask you the same question," Heinrich replied, sexy images entering his head. The mood of said images was almost killed when he reminded himself who Ed's first, last, and only other boyfriend was.

Ed stuttered and grumbled sentence fragments before he slumped onto the mattress, hanging his head dejectedly.

"I once had an undercover mission with Lieutenant Hawkeye and Lieutenant Ross. I was the only one who would fit into the third disguise." Ed gestured weakly at the maid outfit. "It was the most humiliating mission ever. The bastard we were trying to dig information up on was a pervert, too."

"Were you okay?" Heinrich asked immediately.

Ed gave him a reassuring smile. "Yeah, it just bruised my ego. However, once we finished it, I immediately got on everyone's case about sexually harassing the female officers. It was tough being a girl for a month."

Heinrich looked back at the outfit. "So . . . why do you still have it?"

Ed's blush deepened.

"I – I may not have liked how I was treated on the mission . . . but - " Ed hugged his arms. "It makes me feel good." Heinrich stayed quiet for a long time, trying to get his head around the idea. He felt the fabric all over. "I mean, I don't wear it often. J-Just when I – when I feel . . . . well . . . n-not good enough." Heinrich's hands stopped, and he looked up at Ed. Moisture was building up in Ed's eyes. "Not p-pretty enough." Heinrich touched Ed's flesh hand comfortingly. He pressed his forehead against Ed's and rubbed their noses together.

"Ed, you're more than pretty. You're beautiful."

Their lips locked, Heinrich's tongue tracing Ed's lower lip. Ed moaned into the kiss, turning it open-mouthed almost instantly. Ed ran a hand through Heinrich's hair. Heinrich pulled back and gasped for air.

"Ed?"

"Alfons?" Heinrich shuddered appreciatively as the breathy sound of his name washed over him.

"Would there be a chance I could see you wear it sometime?"

Ed chuckled and kissed Heinrich once more.

"All you have to do is ask."

Heinrich groaned in a satisfied way and kissed Ed again. Without breaking the kiss, Heinrich climbed onto the bed, supported himself with both arms, elbows propped near Ed's head, and knees digging into the mattress on the outer side of Ed's lower body. Ed wrapped his arms around Heinrich's neck and lifted his knee up slowly, brushing the inside of Heinrich's thigh and rubbing against Heinrich's nether regions. Heinrich gasped appreciatively.

Since they were thinking about it . . . .

Heinrich sat up, suddenly remembering. Ed looked at him, dazed and a little confused. Heinrich smiled down at him.

"I've been wondering. Have you ever wanted to top?"

It took Ed a moment to realize what he was being asked. Slowly, he shook his head.

"Do you want to try to?"

Ed diverted his gaze to the side, thought about it, then closed his eyes and shook his head. Heinrich tilted his head to the head.

"Why not?"

Ed peered up at him, the dazed expression long gone. Heinrich slowly began to realize how uneasy he was making Ed. The alchemist shifted nervously.

"I don't want to mess it up," he finally admitted. Heinrich smiled again.

"You won't. I promise. It's not that hard." Ed gave him a skeptical look. "I know it feels amazing and like there's not any way that anyone else could possibly do it right, but it's something everyone can do. And I want to give you a chance at it. Just to see if you like it as much as I do."

Ed still had that "are you sure?" look.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. But I am going to ask. Would you like to dominate me?"

Ed's face contorted as though he were in physical pain. Heinrich widened his eyes, alarmed. Did – did he say something wrong? Ed shook his head, almost violently.

"No. I'd rather it be the other way around."

Heinrich forced a smile, trying not to let him know how uneasy – how worried – that response made him.

"Okay." Heinrich tried to tell himself he didn't suddenly feel cold and tense. "I – I've also been wondering something else, too. . . ."

Ed bent his head down so that his chin almost touched his collar bone, yet he kept his eyes on Heinrich.

"Y-Yeah?"

Did he really want to know the answer to his question?

"Um." Brilliant way to start off, Alfons. "W-what preferences _do_ you have for – sex?"

He knew he was blushing, and it was a comfort to know he wasn't the only one embarrassed by the question.

"What I prefer? Um, I – I told really know proper titles for . . . any of it . . . but . . . ." Ed's face resembled a beet. He closed his eyes before he continued. "I – I like it when I'm forced on my elbows and knees. I like it when I'm pinned to the wall. I like it when my legs are pushed as wide as they'll go. I like it hard. I like it rough. I - ." Ed swallowed hard.

Heinrich exhaled as he realized he had been holding his breath.

"Why is that? Doesn't it hurt?" Heinrich wasn't a stranger to rough sex, and he couldn't say he didn't enjoy it, but Ed's attitude towards it was scaring him.

"No. It doesn't hurt." That was a lie, and Heinrich knew it. "Besides . . . even if it did . . . ." Which it did. "It's an equivalent trade."

Wait. What?

"What do you mean?"

Ed opened his eyes, confidence and resolution sparking in his eyes. It struck Heinrich that Ed whole-heartedly believed whatever it was that he was about to say.

"The basis of alchemy is equivalent exchange. To get something, you have to give something in return."

Yes, Heinrich remembered that from Ed's small alchemy tutorials. But what the hell did that have to do with sex?

"You know about my relationship with Al, which would have had most people shun me. You don't shy from my automail, which is hardly an attractive trait. You take care of me when I need you to, but you don't baby me. You support me. You share things with me. You make me feel special. You love me. And you're perfect."

Heinrich flushed with pride. But he still didn't understand what this had to do with –

"So for my exact trade, I let you do whatever you want to me."

The German's proud grin abruptly fell off as Ed's words registered in his brain. Huh?

"I'll do whatever you want me to. All you have to do is ask . . . or demand."

Dread set into Heinrich's heart. No. No. No, no, no, no, no. That's not how he wanted this to work. That's not how anything was supposed to work. That wasn't – that wasn't _right_. No matter what he did for Ed, that would never be right, never be "equivalent".

"I love you. And I want to give you everything I can."

Heinrich got off of Ed, pulled the alchemist up, and wrapped his arms around him in a firm hug. He buried his face in Ed's shoulder, afraid that Ed would notice the tears that were starting to build. He feared the frightened scream would fight its way out of his throat.

He didn't want to make Ed feel like that. Like he had to be a toy. Or a servant. He didn't want him to feel like that. How could he possibly be happy like that?

"Alfons?" Ed asked, concern lacing his voice. "Are you okay?"

Heinrich couldn't answer. The urge to scream was too much.


	34. Chapter 34

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Ling jerked his head up as the train slowed to a stop. Greed Elric sat perched on the seat next to him, staring out of the window with an excited grin on its face. Ling ignored the mantra it kept repeating under its breath: "Mother, Mother, we're going to see Mother." Ling fiddled with his silk sleeve, almost wishing for his old Amestrian-styled coat with the flames on the sides.

The life of an emperor hadn't turned out the way he had expected it to, so far. Why couldn't emperors wear whatever the hell they wanted?

Ling stood up, and with him, all of the servants who followed him. He sighed. He missed traveling with just his sisters and father. Now, they weren't even there, and he didn't even have the comfort of being alone.

"Come on, Greed," Ling said.

Greed Elric leaped off its seat.

The entourage, Ling, and Greed Elric exited the train. Ling blinked repeatedly at the Amestrian soldier standing on the station. He waved at them.

"Emperor Yao! The Fuhrer sent me to take you to her office. Just so we can avoid what happened last time. I'm Second Lieutenant Falman."

The soldier held out his hand, and Ling extended his own to shake it, but one of his servants intervened.

"Your Majesty, it's not necessary for you to touch a commoner!"

A vein in Ling's forehead throbbed. Falman hesitated, curling his fingers in rejection. Ling gave his servant a look.

"And that was rude," Ling hissed.

The servant bowed. "My apologies!"

Greed Elric stepped forward, grabbed Falman's hand, and gave it a firm shake. Falman gasped as the small child adopted the face and appearance of Maria Ross, mole and all.

"Nice to meet you, Second Lieutenant," Greed Elric said, its voice now feminine and smooth. Falman stared, shocked.

"GREED!" Ling snapped. "I want you to let go!"

It let go of Falman's hand and looked at Ling. It reverted back to its real appearance, those grey eyes confused. Ling grinded his teeth together, an angry fear pulsing through his veins.

If anyone ever took advantage of Greed Elric's ability, if anyone ever hurt Greed Elric because they knew how to use that ability, Ling didn't know what he'd do.

He felt like Greed Elric was his own child.

But he had no idea on how to take care of him, how to make him safe.

Falman cleared his throat.

"Um, shall we get going?" Falman asked, subconsciously wiping his hand of any strange germs he might have contracted from the . . . thing in front of him.

"Yeah," Ling grumbled, his bangs falling to hide his eyes. "Let's go."

The small child smiled at him.

"Mother will be there, right?" it asked.

Ling nodded. "Yeah. Your mother will be there."

~!#$%^&*()_+

Fuhrer Armstrong glanced at the back of the room and smirked to see Emperor Yao standing in the back. She shared a look with General Miles, and Miles matched her smirk. Fuhrer Armstrong looked back out at the crowd, checking to make sure all the necessary subordinates were there.

Havoc and Sheska sat next to each other near the front of the stage. Havoc leaned back in his chair, his ever present cigarette smoking up the room. Sheska seemed to be chatting to him about something, and Havoc looked particularly interested in whatever she was saying. Who would've thought those two would end up having so much in common.

Fuhrer Armstrong let her gaze stray to Hawkeye and Fuery. The lieutenant and master sergeant sat together, not far from Havoc and Sheska. They didn't say a word to the other, but Fuery held her hand and a small smile graced Hawkeye's lips. Fuery's cheeks were a becoming pink.

Falman and Maria Ross sat on the other end of the room, close to where Ling was. They looked as though they were talking, and, as best as the Fuhrer could tell, Maria leaned over and pecked Falman on the cheek. Falman rubbed the back of his neck.

Breda and Rebecca were seated a few rows down from Falman and Maria, and they were both laughing. It looked like Breda was telling some humorous story, possibly about Mustang or Fullmetal.

Fuhrer Armstrong's little brother, Major Armstrong, walked down the aisle and sat close to the front, his flamboyancy apparent in his swagger.

Brosh sat in the same row as Falman and Maria, looking like he wished he were Falman.

Fuhrer Armstrong took a double take. Two state alchemist applicants – what were their names? – snuck into the room and sat near the exit. She remembered that Fullmetal had been the one to approve of their applications, but aside from that, she had no idea who they were.

There were other subordinates – those who merely wanted to make a good impression and those who sincerely admired the Flame and Fullmetal.

Everyone looked up and stared at the door when it swung open. Odd, everyone who was part of the military would use a side door, and Ling didn't seem to have expected them either.

Alphonse Elric poked his head into the room, and the door was pushed wider by Izumi. Fuhrer Armstrong vaguely remembered the other woman. She smirked as she recalled her own reaction to learning that Fullmetal's alchemy teacher had been the one person to ever outsmart her.

Three other Xingese people followed Al inside; Fuhrer Armstrong assumed they were the family Al married into. Which would make them Ling Yao's family as well.

Hoenheim, Winry, Scar, another man, and a little girl snuck in behind them.

Fuhrer Armstrong glanced at the clock and determined that they'd waited long enough.

"Attention everyone!" she commanded.

All conversation ceased, and everyone's undivided attention went onto her.

It was good being Fuhrer.

"We will now commence with the ceremony." She snapped her fingers, and Miles waved Mustang and Fullmetal onto the stage.

In unison, Mustang and Fullmetal walked up next to Miles and faced the crowd with backs straight and rigid, the perfect example of military propriety. For once in their lives, as far as Fuhrer Armstrong was concerned.

She abruptly turned towards Mustang and Fullmetal.

"For the willingness to sacrifice public face and personal safety to protect not only his own country, but others, I hereby promote Colonel Roy Mustang to Brigadier General."

At the mention of his name, Mustang made a perfect military turn. He bowed deeply to her.

"I, Colonel Roy Mustang, humbly accept my promotion and thank the Fuhrer for this honor."

He straightened up and accepted the framed certificate that Miles handed him with two hands. He then bowed to Miles, stepped back from them, and turned back to the crowd, back stiff once again and his face blank.

Fullmetal glanced at Fuhrer Armstrong. She smirked smugly.

"Major "Fullmetal" Edward Elric!"

Fullmetal turned towards her, his face not blank like Mustang's, but actually representing a fierce determination and pride. Fuhrer Armstrong swore his mouth twitched upward in a smirk of his own. Her smirk widened into quite the arrogant grin.

"It is not a secret that I thought that you were weak and spineless when I first met you. You were sixteen back then. Since then, you have proven to me that you are, indeed, a strong-willed, powerful soldier."

Her grin widened as she noted that Fullmetal couldn't keep his eyebrows from climbing up his forehead in surprise.

"I always thought that alchemy was a pointless endeavor, and yet it is because of alchemy that you implemented that has saved this country more than once. It is alchemy that you have used that has built up the reputation of this army, which citizens in towns such as Risembool – your hometown – as the Good Army, the People's Army.

"And it is because of you that we were able to help our Xingese allies to obtain a reliable ruler. You have helped this nation with significant loss and damage to yourself, and for this, we thank you. You deserve this promotion. Lieutenant Colonel Fullmetal."

Slowly, a smug grin crossed Fullmetal's face.

"That's incredible praise, Fuhrer. Praise that I'm not entirely sure I deserve. Thank you," he closed his eyes and bowed, grin still in place. "For the promotion, and the praise," he straightened up. "And for being a kick ass Fuhrer."

Fuhrer Armstrong and Fullmetal saluted each other, and Miles respectfully handed Fullmetal his own framed certificate. A proud grin of Miles's own spread across his face.

"Congratulations, Fullmetal," Miles said firmly.

Fullmetal's eyes curved as his grin widened. "Wouldn't even be here to accept it without you, General." He tucked the certificate under his arm and saluted Miles as well.

The Fullmetal Alchemist then resumed his spot next to the Flame Alchemist, and together they bowed to the crowd. Applause erupted.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Mustang knew he wasn't going to get a special speech with his promotion. Fuhrer Armstrong hated his guts. There was no way she'd go out of her way to make his promotion – that paled in comparison to her jump from Major General to Fuhrer – remarkable or special in presentation.

And he knew that Ed had done incredible things to deserve a different presentation than the Fuhrer would give anyone else. The man had been tortured for God's sake! And he had deserved a promotion after that damn mess with the homunculi, too. He understood that, though he too had done important – risky – things for the military – to further the success and good name of the military – Ed had done more phenomenal things. Ed had been in the center of the Homunculi War, as the history books started referring it to. Ed was the one who was now _related_ to Xingese royalty, and thus a vital part of international issues. Hell, if anything happened to Ed in _any_ country, Xing and Amestris would deploy everyone they could spare.

Ed was indispensable. Ed was vital. Ed deserved the promotion. He deserved more than a promotion.

If the Fuhrer stepped down, the country would probably love to have Ed be the next Fuhrer.

He just couldn't help but feel a little – okay, very envious. Maybe not even envious. Maybe he was jealous. Yeah, he'd admit it . . . to himself. Maybe he was just angry at himself that he hadn't pushed himself far enough at this point.

Either way, feeling sour about the Fuhrer's special speech for Ed wasn't good – for him or for Ed. He was still Ed's superior. He was now the Brigadier General. Ed was just a lieutenant colonel . . . like Hughes had been.

Hughes would be hitting him upside the head if he knew Mustang was feeling like this towards Ed. Ed had been like a son to Hughes.

Okay. Push those thoughts and feelings aside. Do it for Ed. Do it for Hughes.

Mustang held out his hand to Ed.

"Congratulations, Ed."

Ed shook the offered hand firmly.

"Back at you, Brigadier General!" Ed chuckled. "It's going to be a mouthful to call you Brigadier General Bastard, but I'll manage it!"

Mustang smirked. Same old Ed.

Heinrich clapped a hand on Ed's shoulder. Ed craned his neck to get a good look at his boyfriend.

"Guess what Wendy and I planned."

"What?"

Heinrich smiled brightly at Ed.

"A big dinner for you, and Col – Brigadier General Mustang."

Ed's face brightened up. "Really? Great!" Ed looked back at Mustang. "Her cooking's amazing. You didn't have anything else planned, did you?"

Mustang rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, I could just invite the ones I was planning on celebrating with to come. If that's okay."

"Sure, why not? Who is it?"

"Gracia and Elysia."

If possible, Ed brightened even more.

"That's perfect! I haven't seen them in a while. . . ."

Mustang's eyes strayed to the little girl who was now pulling at Ed's pant leg. Ed bent down to her eye level. Mustang's eyes widened as he recognized a glint in Ed's eyes that he hadn't seen in years.

The same glint Hughes always had when he talked about or was around his daughter.

Ed picked the little girl up, somehow not dropping his framed certificate. The little girl ran a hand through Ed's hair and rested her cheek on Ed's shoulder. She flashed a grin in Mustang's direction.

"This is Pride," Ed elaborated.

"Pleasure to meet you, Brigadier General," the little girl said.

Mustang stared at her, acutely aware that his other subordinates were standing behind him, also staring.

"Um. You too." Mustang rubbed the back of his neck.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Edward never knew a house could be so crowded. And this was all that _slut's_ fault.

And lo and behold, _of course_ those two men from the train station were there, too.

Edward held David in his arms as Wendy went from this stove eye to that eye, trying not to burn anything. Heinrich had jumped in just in time to save the rice. After hoisting Ming off to Al, Mei joined Wendy in the sporadic, almost insane back-and-forth game with the stove and oven. Ran Fan soon stole Ming from Al and stood next to Edward in the corner. With nothing to do, Al tried to locate tablecloths and napkins.

Scar had been delegated the job of setting the tables, but he accidentally dropped a plate. Had Ed not lunged to catch it, it would've smashed into a million pieces. Ed then promptly snatched the dishes from Scar, gave him a dark look, and took over that job.

Scar went to sit awkwardly with the military officials, looking horribly out of place, even when next to Miles.

Winry sprung into action once the sink starting being filled with pots and pans. She was a sponge-wielding warrior, and soon the sink was empty once again, only to be filled to the brim a few moments later.

Edward counted exactly how many people were currently on his property. Mustang, Havoc, Hawkeye, Fuery, Breda, Falman, Maria, Rebecca, Sheska, Brosh, Major Armstrong, Gracia, Elysia, Scar, Winry, Hoenheim, Miles, Ling, Ran Fan, Mei, Fu, Al, Ming, that strange dark-haired boy that came with Ling, Pride, Alfons, Russell, Fletcher, and the slut. Not counting himself, Wendy, and David.

Why did _Wendy_ have to cook the damn celebratory dinner?

Al gave a triumphant shout as he located the tablecloths. He hurried to the table, and Ed laughed as he set the dishes down on a spare fold-up chair.

"What took you?" Ed joked.

Al took one tablecloth into one hand, tucked the others under his arm, unfolded the one, and tried to get it to lay on the table right.

"Not everyone's the great Fullmetal Alchemist, Brother," Al retorted jovially. Laughter spread to everyone who heard that comment, except Edward and Ran Fan. Ran Fan's face darkened considerably, and Edward wondered what was eating _her_.

"Yes, be in awe of me." Ed laughed.

Al rolled his eyes, took the tablecloths back into his hands, and once Ed had turned around to pick the dishes back up, rolled the tablecloths together, making them twist and wrap around each other, and snapped the combined tablecloths on Ed's butt.

Ed let out a small shriek, clapping his hands where it . . . well, hit him. He then started giggling uncontrollably, and Al burst out laughing.

Everyone else, however, fell into an uneasy silence.

If Ran Fan's face went any darker, Edward swore she'd be able to set fire to whatever she was glaring at . . . which at the moment was Al.

Al pulled the tablecloths back into individual material, still gasping for air. It looked like Al was about to say something, but more laughter kept him from it.

The two brothers continued doing their tasks like nothing remotely sexual happened.

Edward glanced at the house, where Alfons was helping Wendy, Mei, and Winry.

Once the tables were donned with the tablecloths, Ed set the places at all of the designated places.

The brothers seemed to finally notice the small tension in the air.

"Something the matter?" Ed asked, as though he didn't know.

Edward narrowed his eyes at the blond alchemist.

"Um," Russell managed. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Al questioned, coming back with multitudes of cloth napkins.

"The thing with the tablecloth," Fletcher elaborated.

Ed and Al looked at them blankly for a moment, then it seemed to finally click.

"Oh that!" Ed said, then started giggling again. "It's just something we used to do when we were kids. Mom would do it, too, whenever we were being ridiculous on purpose."

Al's humored smile started to vanish, as though he finally understood what the others were thinking.

"It – it's just joking around. . . ." Al muttered, more uncertain than sounded normal.

Ed, however, shrugged it off completely and went back into the house to see what else he could help with.

Edward followed Al's nervous gaze until he noticed the deadly glare Hoenheim was sending his youngest. Edward furrowed his eyebrows, now becoming more uneasy by the minute.

Ran Fan stormed off somewhere where she wouldn't have to look at Al.

Suddenly, Pride and the strange boy burst out laughing. Everyone – whether they really noticed them before or not – turned to look at them. Pride leaned over to get a better look at the boy.

"So, Brother Greed," Pride said.

Wait. _Brother?_

"Yes, Sister Pride?"

"Who do you think the next ones will be?"

The boy – Greed, apparently – shrugged.

"Depends on what we're looking at. Who does he spend the most time with?"

"Father, Grandfather, and whoever he works with," Pride answered.

"What about Alphonse Elric?"

Pride shrugged. "With him, anything's possible."

The boy hummed thoughtfully for a minute.

"Well, Wrath is a definite." The boy jabbed his thumb in Hoenheim's direction. Hoenheim furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "As for the other one . . . Lust maybe?"

"I was thinking Envy."

"Hm."

The two children lapsed into silence, them the only ones not confused by their conversation. They then shrugged in unison.

"We'll see eventually," they chimed together.

"Has Mother noticed you're here yet?" Pride asked.

Greed shrugged again. "Don't think so."

Pride grinned at him. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to introduce you."

Greed grinned back. "Thank you, sister dear."

"Your welcome, brother dear."

It was official. Those two were _definitely_ freaking Edward _and_ everyone else out.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Fu found his oldest daughter upstairs in what looked like David's nursery. Ran Fan perched on a chair, bouncing Ming on her knee. The one-year-old squealed cheerfully.

Fu knelt down next to his daughter and touched her hand.

"Ran Fan, what is the matter?"

Ran Fan gritted her teeth.

"Al is a horrible person," Ran Fan spat eventually.

Fu raised an eyebrow.

"And what makes you say that?"

Ran Fan hugged Ming to her chest, her nails threatening to dig into the baby's skin.

"He's committed a terrible sin."

Fu caressed her cheek.

"And what could be so bad to upset you like this?"

Ran Fan locked her gaze with her father's, and took a deep breath.

"Incest."

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed only finally noticed Greed Elric once he finished helping Wendy. His eyes landed on him when he was scanning the yard for Pride.

Greed Elric waved at him once he caught his attention.

Ed blinked uncomprehendingly at him.

Greed Elric giggled, stood up on his chair, got a "Greed!" from Ling, jumped off, did some sort of cool flip in the air, then landed in front of Ed. He flashed a grin at Ed.

"Hello, Mother. Pride did mention me, didn't she?"

Ed's memory clicked, and he smiled back.

"Yeah, she did." Ed bent down so he and Greed Elric were on eye-level. "Little Greed, right?"

Greed Elric nodded. Ed took his automail hand and ruffled Greed Elric's hair. The homunculus kept his real appearance.

Ling exhaled and flopped back into his chair, his slouched position far from the elegance of an emperor. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Damn kid. Scaring me like that." he grumbled under his breath.

"Want to see what I can do?"

Ling's eyes almost popped out of his head. Spoke too soon.

"GREED!"

Greed Elric looked back at him.

"Have you forgotten what I told you!?" Ling yelled, sounding practically desperate.

Greed Elric smirked slightly. "What Mother wants overrides what you want."

Damn it!

"Um, sure, why not?" Ed answered.

Greed Elric scoped out the yard, looking for a perfect candidate. His smirk widened once he decided his mother would do just fine.

"Give me your flesh hand," Greed Elric said.

Without thinking about it, Ed did as he said.

Greed Elric took the offered hand into his own hands, and his transformation took everyone's breath away.

Greed Elric, with Heinrich's blue eyes, winked at Ed.

"Neat, huh?" he asked, letting go of Ed's hand.

Ed just gaped at him.


	35. Chapter 35

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Fu closed the front door, his ears still ringing with the revelation that Ran Fan had dealt him. He glanced at Al for the hundredth time that night. Al took Ming from Mei, the married couple saying something about how the dinner had been.

Fu's memory flashed to the lapse of judgment Al had made with the tablecloths. Ed never did catch on to what was wrong with it.

So. The older brother was the naïve one.

Interesting. Worrisome, but interesting.

Fu walked to the bookcase in the living room and pulled down a book. It was from Mei's college psychology course, which Fu had thought was a useless endeavor. He never thought he'd eat those words.

He flipped "The Mind of Incest" open, found a comfortable spot on the couch, and began to read, barely registering that he was the only one still downstairs.

Might as well read into what they were dealing with.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ling hadn't planned on Greed Elric – or "Little Greed" as Ed kept calling him – actually making contact with Ed. Sure, he probably was going to have to introduce them eventually, but he thought it would've been _after_ his meeting with Fuhrer Armstrong.

Ling currently lay on the couch. He snorted to himself. If his servants could see him now. They'd freak that their emperor was "forced" to sleep on the living room couch.

Little Greed slept upstairs with Pride, the two homunculi strongly reminding him of evil twins.

At first, he thought the footsteps were Hoenheim. Then he started to wonder how Hoenheim reached the kitchen without walking down the stairs. . . .

Ling slowly sat up, grabbing his saber from the coffee table. Chinking and clinking echoed from the kitchen. Ling furrowed his eyebrows. Cautiously, he inched across the room, across the entry way, and pressed against the wall.

An inconvenienced groan reached his ears, and a grumble followed it. "Shoulda known he wouldn't have milk."

Ling gripped his saber tighter, his eyes widening in fear.

That didn't sound like _anyone_ he knew. He jumped out from his hiding place, and before the intruder could register the small "thump" of his feet beating the floor, Ling pressed the blade to his neck.

The intruder sighed and turned around. The black leather jacket with the fur-lining rippled as he moved.

"Coulda sworn all of you were asleep," the intruder muttered.

"Who are you?" Ling demanded.

The intruder pressed a finger to his lips. Ling raised an eyebrow at the ouroboros tattoo. He inhaled sharply.

"Homunculus?"

A grin spread across the intruder's face.

"Ah. So you know what I am? Guess you would, hanging out with the "Little Me" and all."

Ling stepped back.

"Y-You're the original – the original Greed."

Greed pushed the saber away and stepped closer to him. He leaned into Ling's personal space and leered smugly.

"That's right. Little Me has got nothing on me."

Greed brought a juice carton to his lips and gulped down the liquid.

"I'll be out of your hair in a little bit. It's just been a while since I've eaten something."

Ling pressed the blade back onto Greed's neck. Greed gave him a disbelieving look.

"How do you know about Greed Elric?"

Greed rolled his eyes.

"I don't _just_ know about Little Me. I know about Little Pride, Ed's boyfriend, that wife of Al's, Ed's promotion – basically everything that Ed's been doing for the past few weeks." Greed pressed his finger to his lips again. "But let's not tell Ed that, okay? He'll get huffy if he finds out I'm stalking him again."

. . . _Again!?_

Ling bared his teeth and pressed the blade harder. Greed sighed.

The homunculus threw the juice carton into the air, grabbed Ling's wrist, twisted the emperor's arm behind his back, and then grabbed the carton before it could hit the ground. He rewarded himself with another big gulp.

Ling's veins pulsed with terror. He'd never faced anything so fast. He could feel his wrist bruising with the pressure Greed was applying. He'd never faced anything so strong before, either.

Were Greed Elric and Pride this powerful as well?

Greed had his fill of the juice and set the carton back into the refrigerator. He then brushed his mouth against Ling's ear. Ling flinched.

"Repeat after me. I will not tell Ed that Greed is back."

Ling gritted his teeth. He was the emperor of Xing! He wasn't going to - !

Greed tightened his hold on Ling's wrist, and a snap shot through the air. Greed covered Ling's mouth to keep him from screaming.

"_Repeat after me_. _I will not tell Ed that Greed is back_."

"I – will – not – tell Ed – that – Greed is – back," Ling forced out, his eyes watering with the pain.

He could feel Greed's grin against his earlobe.

"I will not tell Hoenheim that Greed is stalking Ed."

"I will – not tell – Hoenheim – that Greed – is stalking – Ed."

The words tasted like bile.

"That's a good human."

Greed released Ling. Ling cradled his broken wrist. The Xingese emperor glared at Greed's back as the homunculus crossed the kitchen to the back door.

"Oh, and one more thing." Greed flashed an evil grin at him. "If you are going to tell anyone, make sure it's Alfons Heinrich. Stealing his boyfriend won't be nearly as fun without competition."

Ling glared defiantly at him, refusing to say a word.

Greed took his leave, the backdoor closing with a resounding click.

Ling examined his wrist. Indeed, it was already bruising. He swallowed, wondering exactly how he was going to get it bandaged and put in a splint at this time of night.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Scar raised an eyebrow as Ling insisted on cradling his wrist. He wasn't the only one who noticed.

"What happened to your hand?" Winry asked.

Ling's shoulders slumped.

"Guy managed to break in last night. He kind of got the better of me."

Alarm spasmed through everyone.

"What!?"

Ling flinched and grumbled under his breath. "All he did was drink out of the juice carton."

Winry immediately dropped said juice carton. Ed snatched it before it hit the floor. Ed and Heinrich shared a look.

"Now who does _that_ remind us of?" Ed drawled.

Heinrich's eyes darkened considerably. "What was _he_ doing here?"

Ed actually poured himself a glass of juice. Heinrich twitched visibly, but Ed didn't seem to notice. Ed brought the glass to his lips and sipped it.

"What I'm more concerned about is why he didn't let us know. Last time, he didn't even bother to hide himself." Ed scrunched up his face pensively. He tapped his finger on the table a few times, then stood up abruptly. "It's best if we get a splint for that wrist before you go see the Fuhrer."

Little Greed grinned, snatched a bagel from the counter, opened his mouth wide, and munched happily on it. Pride snickered at Little Greed's face.

Hoenheim looked from Heinrich to Ed, back and forth.

"Am I missing something? Who was here?" Hoenheim asked. Scar grunted affirmatively to Hoenheim's question.

"Yeah, the rest of us are lost," Winry agreed.

Heinrich leaned farther back in his chair and crossed his arms, glowering at the table.

"The bigger Greed," he growled out.

Ed stared at Heinrich for a moment, then burst out laughing. Heinrich raised an eyebrow at him, clearly not seeing what was so funny. Ed tried to get a hold over himself.

"He's not that bad. He's acting weird, yeah, but I'd hardly say he warrants _that_!" Ed seemed to think Heinrich's attitude towards the original Greed was hysterical, because he still couldn't stop laughing.

Heinrich narrowed his eyes at Ed, annoyed.

"He's a leech. And a flirtatious one at that." Heinrich deadpanned.

"True, he's a bit annoying, but he's harmless. I'd rather deal with him than someone we'd actually have to worry about." Ed argued good-naturedly.

Ling stared at him, disbelief written all over his face.

"_Harmless_? He broke my wrist!"

Ed held his hands up. "Okay, harmless _except_ when someone gets in the way of what he wants. Speaking of that wrist, we got to get going, or else we don't get that bandaged up in time for your meeting."

Ling grumbled under his breath and stood up. Ed grabbed his ever-present red coat. Heinrich slumped down into his chair, still glowering about Greed. Little Greed stuffed the rest of the bagel into his mouth and hurried after Ed and Ling. Pride gave Little Greed a half-hearted wave. Scar made to follow Ed out the door, but Ed pushed him back with the palm of his automail hand. He gave him an annoyed look.

"Seriously, you _don't_ have to follow me _everywhere_. Going to, staying, and coming from work are times when I don't need a body guard. Just stay here and help Alfons take care of Pride, okay?" Ed stated.

Scar sighed and acquiesced, letting the blond shut the door in his face.

Heinrich got up and spent the rest of the day glowering and working on his airplane.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Russell balled his hands into fists and slammed them on the desk. "What do you _mean_ the practical portion of the State Alchemist Exam has been postponed!?"

Fletcher grabbed the back of his brother's shirt, hoping that would calm him down. Russell just waved his little brother off, focusing all of his attention on the brunette before him.

The bespectacled young woman in front of him shrieked, blushed embarrassedly at her exaggerated reaction, and stammered her response.

"I – I'm sorry, Mr. – ," She sifted through her notes. "Mr. Trigham. But the Fuhrer had an important meeting with the Xingese Emperor today, so she won't be able to attend the practical exam and the committee would rather give her a chan – eep!"

Russell thrust his face close to hers.

"_I_ heard she never even bothered to show up to a practical exam! From what _I_ heard, she could care _less_ about alchemists and their rank in the military! So why _postpone_ something we've worked so hard towards just because _she has a foreign relations meeting with a country that she doesn't even like_!?"

"Russell, please," Fletcher begged. "Calm down."

The cock of a gun caught Russell's attention. He glanced to his right and froze at the sight of the end of a gun barrel.

"I'd stop yelling at her for being the messenger if I were you, Trigham," the soldier said, his cigarette bringing an acrid smell into the room.

"Jean!" the woman exclaimed. "When did - ?"

The soldier gave her a nervous grin. "You okay, Sheska?"

"Uh, yes! Yes, I'm fine!"

Russell broke out into a nervous sweat. Fletcher inched to stand in front of his brother.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Havoc. Brother got carried away. We promise it won't happen again," Fletcher apologized.

Guilt washed over Russell.

Havoc stared down at Fletcher sternly, then his expression softened. He laid the gun on Sheska's desk.

"I'll let you two off the hook this time," Havoc said. He sent a small glare at Russell. "But if you yell at her again, you'll regret it."

Russell nodded, not trusting his mouth. Fletcher tugged on Russell's arm and led his big brother out of the room, muttering apologies under his breath.

Sheska turned to Havoc.

"Jean, you're not supposed to have - !" she whispered, but Havoc picked the gun back up, pointed it at the wall, and pulled the trigger. Click, click. Nothing happened.

Havoc grinned uneasily. "I'm not allowed to have a loaded gun. Borrowed it from Hawkeye."

Sheska let out a sigh of relief. She then held out her hands for it. He gave it to her without hesitation. She pulled open a drawer and stuffed it in it. They shared a smile that only they would understand, and Havoc went back to his own desk down the hall.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ling, Ed, and Little Greed stood before Fuhrer Armstrong, General Miles and Brigadier General Mustang. Fuhrer Armstrong examined Little Greed, looked him up and down.

"Turn around," she ordered.

Little Greed didn't move. A vein in Fuhrer Armstrong's forehead throbbed.

"I _want_ you to turn around," she reiterated.

Little Greed complied with her request. She let her eyes trail down the child's back until she found the ouroboros tattoo.

"So you are a homunculus."

Little Greed smirked at her over his shoulder, still keeping his back to her. Fuhrer Armstrong snapped her fingers.

"Brigadier General!"

Mustang snapped to attention. "Fuhrer!"

Fuhrer Armstrong sidled a glance Mustang's way. "Touch Greed Elric and tell us if he indeed turns into the person you want the most."

Mustang stared at her for a long moment. Fuhrer Armstrong's eye twitched. "Now, Brigadier!"

Mustang swallowed hard and stepped up to the small, dark-haired child. Little Greed grinned at him.

"You'll have to take your gloves off," Little Greed informed, his voice silkily smug. "Unless you want me to touch your face in some way."

Without a word – his mouth a thin, anxious line and a frog in his throat – Mustang slipped his right glove off, shut his eyes tightly, and grasped Little Greed's bare hand.

Ed's gasp rang through his ears. He refused to open his eyes, afraid to see his deepest secret betrayed – the one thing outside of Ishbal that he was ashamed of.

The tinkling of Little Greed playing with his alchemic watch reached his ears, the child no doubt wondering what he looked like and using the reflective surface as a mirror. The little boy chuckled, his voice no longer than small yet masculine mocking tone but the melodic soothing sound of Gracia Hughes.

"She's pretty. But I don't understand you humans. Why are you so afraid of what you want?"

Mustang gritted his teeth. That voice wasn't coming from Gracia. It wasn't. It was coming from a child who didn't know a thing about him, or Gracia, or Maes. It was just coming from a creepy child who wasn't even human, who couldn't understand, and probably never would.

Mustang's eyes flew open as he felt Little Greed lifting his chin up. He wasn't sure when he bowed his head, but all he could see were Gracia's kind eyes, the small hint that this wasn't the woman he had fallen in love with barely recognizable in the child's mask. Her – his! – lips were so close to his, he could feel her – his! – breath.

"Greed, I want you to stop it!" Ling ordered.

Little Greed glanced at Ling, using Gracia's eyes to give him an annoyed look.

"I want you to let go of him and to stop it!" Ling repeated.

Little Greed did as told without hesitation, reverting back to his adorable dark hair, gray eyes, and not-Gracia features. The child shrugged.

"This is why I don't understand humans. You want one thing, but say you want another, even though you _know_ you want the opposite."

Fuhrer Armstrong hummed pensively for a moment. "So you truly have this power?"

Little Greed flashed a grin and nodded. Fuhrer Armstrong smirked.

"Brigadier General, Emperor, General, if you could leave and let me talk to Colonel Fullmetal and his son alone for a moment."

Mustang was the first one out of the room. He didn't stop at the hall, either. He marched all the way back to his office, ignored his subordinates' concerned looks, and barricaded himself from the rest of the building. He held his head in his hands and fought back what he insisted were not sobs.

Miles was just glad Fuhrer Armstrong hadn't asked it of him to touch Little Greed. Though he pitied Mustang and his predicament, there would have been no way he'd be able to work around the Fuhrer knowing his heart had chosen her to fill the hole that his deceased wife left. So he thanked Ishbala for letting him weasel out of that one.

Ling waited outside of the Fuhrer's office, admitting to himself that he did indeed dread what she was going to decide. He knew Little Greed wanted to stay with Ed, even if he didn't say so, but Ling really didn't want to leave the little guy.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich wiped the sweat off his brow and continued to work. Tink, tink, squeak, squeak, tink, tink, tick, tick, tick, tink, tick, squeak, tick, tick. He swallowed, ignoring how his throat felt like sandpaper, ignoring the fact that he hadn't re-hydrated himself in hours, ignoring how much water and nutrients he lost per sweat drop.

Working on his airplane was the only thing that made the anger go away.

After he got this world to believe in and use airplanes, he'd continue on to build rockets. That was his real passion after all. But when Hoenheim and Ed hadn't understood what even an airplane was, he knew he'd have to start small here.

Tink, tink, squeak, squeak, tick, tick, tick, tink, tick, squeak, tick, tick.

Why didn't Ed see Greed as a threat, like he did? The bastard was a flirt who obviously wanted Ed badly. The bastard could beat Scar's ass and broke Ling's wrist. Heinrich couldn't even fight, so he'd be completely useless if it came to a fist fight with the homunculus. And Hoenheim often alluded to being much older than he looked, so how much help would the older man be if Greed decided to take what he wanted by force? How could Ed talk about this so light-heartedly?

Tink, tink, squeak, squeak, tick, tick, tick, tink, tick, squeak, tick, tick.

Just concentrate on the airplane. Once the airplane was done, he'd sell it to Mustang and help Ed take care of Pride and now Little Greed.

Little Greed was nothing like Greed. And he was glad for that.

But part of him resented the child's existence. Because Little Greed didn't act like Pride did with Heinrich. There was something about Little Greed that screamed at him: HE'S NOT YOURS, HE'S ALPHONSE ELRIC'S CHILD!

It was stupid to think like that, though. Arguably, homunculi didn't really have parents, or "fathers" at least. Right?

_Right?_

And besides, he wasn't so petty that he'd get jealous over a past relationship that had obviously ended.

. . . . Right?


	36. Chapter 36

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

The door to the Fuhrer's office creaked open. Ling swerved around and looked at Ed and Little Greed expectantly. Little Greed grinned triumphantly, and Ed was failing miserably at hiding a happy smile. Ling forced his own to mirror Ed's, but an empty feeling settled in his chest.

Little Greed would be living here. In Amestris. Doing whatever it is Ed and he agreed on with the Fuhrer. Or maybe just living with Ed and Heinrich. He wouldn't be with Ling.

He was ashamed of how much that thought hurt.

"So . . . we go back home?" Ling asked.

Ed nodded affirmatively. Ling noticed the blond's arms twitching. Then he noticed Little Greed's small frown once the homunculus noticed it.

"You want to hold me," Little Greed stated.

Ed smiled at him. "Yeah."

"But you don't want me to turn into Alfons Heinrich when you do."

Ed nodded slightly. Little Greed hung his head.

"I can't do that."

"I know. It's okay."

Ling could tell that Little Greed didn't think it was.

~!#$%^&*()_+

A shiver ran up Greed's spine. He looked behind him on the empty street. He swallowed hard and gritted his teeth. The wind blew gently, rippling his clothes and hair. He narrowed his eyes at the concrete expanse behind him. No person stood on the street, aside from him.

However . . . .

He smirked.

"So this feeling of impending doom is your doing, huh?" Greed asked the seemingly empty street.

Only the whisper of the wind replied. But that seemed to be all Greed needed. He ran towards Central Headquarters . . . despite the fact that Ed, Ling, and Little Greed were already turning the corner onto the street.

Ling panicked, Ed raised an eyebrow, and Little Greed just ignored him. Greed ran past them, barely registering that they were even there. He didn't stop, even when he looked back at Ed.

"Keep away from Pine Avenue for a while, okay, Doll?"

Greed turned the corner, not waiting for a response.

Ed and Ling stared after him. A vein throbbed in Ed's forehead.

"WHO YOU CALLING DOLL!?"

Greed kept running, barreling through the guards and jumping over the gate.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed opened the front door and announced their return. Hoenheim relaxed significantly. Pride greeted Ed and Little Greed at the door, sharing a mysterious smirk with her brother. Hoenheim rested a hand on Ed's shoulder.

"How was the meeting?"

Ed shrugged Hoenheim's hand off.

"Little Greed gets to live with us, as long as we keep a good eye on him. Fuhrer Armstrong doesn't want any other militaries to learn of his existence. Where are Winry and Scar?"

"Upstairs. Winry wants to visit with Al for a while, but she wanted to wait to see if Ling wanted to see his family."

Ling smiled. "Yes, I would." Without thinking about it, Ling patted Little Greed on the head. "You be good now."

Little Greed looked up at him, a slightly confused expression on his face.

Ling at first didn't register the reason why, under he remembered who Little Greed was supposed to turn into. But the child still had his black braid, his grey eyes, his rather round cheeks, and his child stature.

Ling retracted his hand, as though burned. He cleared his throat. Little Greed opened his mouth to say something, but Winry and Scar came down the stairs at that moment.

"Hoenheim says you're going to see Al and Mei?" Ling asked a little too quickly.

Winry smiled. "Yep! Want to come?"

"Yeah."

Scar handed Winry her coat, and after a quick goodbye from Winry, the three were gone.

Ed wandered into the kitchen with Little Greed and Pride. Hoenheim leaned on the doorway, a small smile fluttering on his lips.

He remembered when Ed and Al had followed Trisha around the house on their tiny toddler feet, like little ducklings.

Pride hoisted herself up so that she was sitting on the table. Little Greed climbed up onto the counter. In unison, they crossed their legs and both leaned back onto their palms, posturing like they owned the place. Ed started on dinner, asking the two homunculi what they wanted.

"Tea!" Little Greed chimed in immediately. Pride rolled her eyes.

"Nothing difficult to eat. I'm not embarrassing myself just to fill my stomach," Pride replied.

Hoenheim chuckled. They certainly lived up to their namesakes.

Ed glanced over his shoulder at his father.

"Oh, Dad, where's Alfons?"

It took Hoenheim a moment to realize that Ed was talking about Heinrich.

"In the yard. Working on the airplane."

And speak of the Devil . . . .

Heinrich entered through the back door, face smudged with machine oil and sweat rolling down his face. His shirt hung damply off of his frame. Small pants slipped from his lips. He raised his eyes from the floor and smiled at the sight of Ed.

"Ed. . . . How was the meeting?"

Ed grinned at him. "It went great. Little Greed'll be living with us now. How's the airplane?"

Heinrich forced his smile to stay on.

"It's finished."

Ed stopped what he was doing. "Really!?"

Heinrich nodded. "Yep. We can show it to Mustang whenever you want."

"That's great!" Ed leaped from where he stood and glomped Heinrich. Heinrich almost fell over, but he did drop his bag so he could catch the alchemist. Happiness and pride bloomed in his chest, but unwanted thoughts squashed them.

_Ed probably did this sort of thing with Al all the time. . . . And knowing that bastard, it probably easily turned into sex. _

Heinrich set back on the ground, trying to keep his smile on. It kept twitching; he wondered if Ed noticed and was ignoring it, or if he was just oblivious.

Ed laughed. "You're drenched in sweat."

Heinrich nodded in confirmation and pulled at his shirt.

Hoenheim drug the dishes out of a cabinet. Little Greed tilted his head out of the way. Pride slipped off the table and picked a chair she liked the looks of. Hoenheim took a closer look at the chair. Did it always look so . . . regal? Or did someone transmute it when he wasn't looking? He caught himself almost dropping the plates on thin air. He really needed to keep his train of thought in check. Was old age finally catching up with him?

"You want to take a shower before dinner?" Ed asked, turning back to the stove.

A light bulb sparked in Heinrich's head. An almost lecherous grin slunk onto his face.

"Oh, I can wait until after." The engineer leaned closer and whispered in Ed's ear. "So you can take it with me."

Ed squeaked, blushed, and gently whacked Heinrich's arm. Hoenheim narrowed his eyes at it, but he bit down on his tongue, slicing it. Blood seeped into his mouth, but he couldn't bring himself to mind.

Before Hoenheim knew it, dinner sat on the table, and he had to swallow the blood that had built up in his mouth. He snatched up his glass and washed the metallic taste down with the water. He wiped the evidence of blood off his glass with his lower lip and continued to pretend that he was fine.

Little Greed stuck a piece of broccoli in his mouth, and his eyes lit up.

"Sister, we ran into the original Greed today."

Heinrich froze.

"Did you, Brother? What was he like?"

"In a hurry. For a stalker, he sucks at it. He ran right past us, shouting something about staying away from Pine Avenue."

Hoenheim furrowed his eyebrows. "Isn't Pine Avenue the street that the portal opened up on?"

Ed nodded. "Wonder what he was talking about. If he's only been hanging around for a few weeks, then there's no way he could've known about the portal. I haven't been to it since before Al came back. But I will have to go with Hawkeye and Falman and check it out again. The investigation assigned to it hasn't figured out how to close it, and I know more about portals and the like than anyone else. I just haven't really been in a position to handle it properly. . . ."

Hoenheim bowed his head, the light flashing on his glasses, hiding his eyes. Ed opened his mouth to say something else, but Heinrich slammed his fists down. Little Greed and Pride seemed completely unaffected by it; Hoenheim and Ed jumped and looked at him.

"Why aren't - !" Heinrich growled, his teeth grinding against each other. "Why aren't you more – more _concerned_ about Greed being here?!"

Little Greed looked affronted, but Pride shook her head. "Silly Brother, he means the other one." Little Greed immediately went back to blissfully ignoring the engineer.

"What are you talking about?" Ed asked. "He's not - ."

Heinrich stood up. Hoenheim had never really taken note of how much taller Heinrich was than Ed, but suddenly the fact struck him like a lightening bolt. Heinrich had to be about as tall as Hoenheim, and Ed looked so small – fragile – in comparison.

Anger – and fear – pounded in Heinrich's veins, in his head, in his heart – in his everything. His body throbbed with emotion. His eyes burned with it. It felt as though he was on fire, and he knew the only one who could extinguish the feeling was perfectly oblivious – or ignorant – on what was even _wrong_.

"He _wants_ to _sleep with you_! Or has that escaped your notice this entire time!?"

Ed stared at him, uncomprehending why this was a problem – or maybe not understanding why it was bothering Heinrich so much. Either way, like a real mother, Ed glanced at the children.

"Greed, Pride, I want you two to go upstairs for a little while, okay?" Ed said.

Little Greed instantly fulfilled Ed's wish, and Pride stole her and her brother's plates up with them.

Ed gave Hoenheim a look. Hoenheim sighed and left the room, but he hovered near the doorway, just enough so that he could still see what was going on.

Ed finally turned back to Heinrich, still looking confused.

"Yeah, I noticed. He was a lot more up front about it when he first started. Compared to back then, he's just a nuisance."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Heinrich's fists and voice shook with barely restrained emotion.

"Well," Ed started uneasily. "It used to be that he'd take every opportunity, whether good or bad, to try to stick his hands down my pants. Now he's just flirting."

"He's the epitome of _greed_, Ed! What if – what if he just _takes_ what he wants from you?"

Ed raised an eyebrow. "You mean rape me?"

Heinrich flinched, violently so. How – how could he just throw the word out there so casually.

"Look, that's not going to happen," Ed insisted. "There's no way Greed would do that."

"But Ed - !"

"He's had the opportunity before, but he left me alone and disappeared for three years. I think if he wanted it like that, he would've done it long ago."

"Ed, you're not listening!"

Ed stood up and set his hands on his hips.

"No, you're not listening, Alfons. Greed's not a problem!"

"DAMN IT, ED!"

SMACK!

"He's so much stronger than the rest of us, and he's made it clear he _will_ fight me if it comes to that and - !" Heinrich faltered in his rant, suddenly realizing what the flesh-against-flesh sound had been.

All of his anger melted away, replaced by a quiet horror that froze his blood. No. He – he didn't just – no, he couldn't have. He hadn't lost his temper like that since he was twelve years old. He was in his late twenties now for God's sake. Why would he lose it right then?

But the wide, unbelieving, hurt eyes stared back at him, the cheek reddening in the shape of a fist. Tears weld in those golden eyes.

Ed brought his flesh hand up and touched his abused cheek. He winced at the touch, but he pressed his palm against the throbbing flesh.

Heinrich couldn't speak. How the hell was he supposed to apologize for that? He knew if a boyfriend had ever hit _him_, he'd kick their ass onto the pavement and never talk to them again.

As much as it would hurt to have Ed do that to him, he almost hoped the smaller blond would. Just to prove to him that Ed was strong enough to live without him.

Hoenheim stood rooted to the spot, his own fists trembling. He waited for Ed to do – say – anything in his own defense. He knew relationships were often rocky, and if given the proper attitude, everything could be conquered and not happen ever again. But it all depended on how Ed decided to handle the situation. Hoenheim prayed Ed would say the right thing, prayed he'd see hope in not having to constantly watch after his oldest like he had been ever since Al broke him.

It felt like an eternity until Ed spoke.

His voice shook, and it barely reached the volume of a whisper.

"I – I'm sorry. I-I can have Mustang do something about him. I-if you want."

Heinrich's heart broke. Hoenheim's was set on fire.

Heinrich didn't know what to do. What could he do when presented with that? Ed really would do anything to make him happy. . . . Even if that meant destroying what he believed to be true.

If Ed believed Greed to be harmless, then maybe he was. Greed wasn't Heinrich. Greed wasn't Ed's perfect person. Heinrich was. And he forgot that. For a few minutes – no, for the past twenty-four hours – he forgot that. Because he forgot, because he felt threatened, because he thought someone could actually take Ed away from him, he hit the one person he cared this much about. And proved to himself something that Heinrich desperately wanted to be wrong.

"Ed – I'm sorry I hit you. I – I didn't mean to." The most inadequate apology, but that was all he could get out.

Don't say it, don't say it, don't say –

"It's okay," Ed breathed.

- It.

"It's okay." Repeated. Like he was trying to convince himself. No, no, no. Don't do that, don't _do that_. "I – I'm fine."

"Ed."

Heinrich barely noticed that his own eyes were welling up with tears.

"Ed, it's not okay. And if you were fine, you wouldn't be almost crying. Ed," Heinrich stole himself for the one thing that could ruin everything that he had built up for himself in this world, but if it made everything all right then it was worth it. Equivalent exchange and all that. "If you have to give everything up to make someone stay, to make someone not hurt you, then that person is a son of a bitch who deserves a good beating. I don't want you to think I'm that person. I want to be the person you deserve. But the person you deserve doesn't hit you when he's frustrated and more angry at himself than anyone else for him being so pathetic. The person you deserve doesn't get himself riled up over past relationships, especially when the ex is married to someone else. The person you deserve might not always say the right thing, or might do things that annoy the hell out of you, but he treats you right."

He touched Ed's shoulders.

"Ed, does that really sound like me?"

He didn't like it how Ed didn't even bother to think about the answer.

"Yes."

Tears flowed down Heinrich's cheeks.

"But I'm not!" His words morphed into sobs as he tried to get Ed to understand. He felt Ed's hands cup his cheeks, felt Ed's lips on his, felt his breath as the alchemist whispered comforting words.

Back in the doorway, dread crawled up Hoenheim's spine. There would be no way he could protect his eldest. There would be no conceivable tactic that he could use to save his eldest from the mess that Ed's insecurities created. There would be no possible way he could ever keep his son from tears.

Hoenheim stumbled into the living room. He collapsed onto the couch and held his head, eyes wide in terror.

It was impossible to keep a repeat of the suicidal thoughts, the self-disrespect, the from-the-gut sobs, the long nights of holding Ed until he cried himself to sleep.

His eyes watered, and his cheeks felt damp, but aside from the horror, he felt completely numb.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich scrubbed his body furiously, drawing blood. He felt disgusted. He felt dirty. He felt like he was something scratched up from the bottom of a sewage tank. And it had nothing to do with how sweaty and dusty he was from working on the airplane.

Ed had let him do everything he wanted to him. Touch him, kiss him, nail him. Even after hitting him. In the same _room_ he had hit him in.

Wasn't there something that kept things like this from happening? It was called a conscience, right? Or was it self-respect? Guilt? He didn't know anymore.

His only comfort wasn't really a comfort: at least he fucked Ed the way Ed wanted to be fucked. Too bad that meant fucking him like a dog.

Damn it!

Heinrich heated the water as hot as it could, the water burning his bleeding skin. He gritted his teeth to keep himself from screaming.

Punishment. Because Ed wasn't going to. Because Hoenheim looked like he had given up on looking after Ed. Because Pride and Little Greed didn't seem to care. All those two said was "Stupid human."

What was wrong with those homunculi anyway? They kind of freaked him out. But they were Ed's children, and Pride was his, too.

Pride had looked depressed when she said "Stupid human." Greed just looked confused. His eyes widened as he started to think of why.

If Pride was Pride because of Heinrich's pride, then would her mood depend on how proud he felt?

He certainly didn't feel proud right now. The opposite, actually. He felt terribly disappointed, in himself, in Ed, in everything.

He turned the shower off and sighed.

Great. He couldn't take proper care of Ed. He upset his "daughter". He could barely take care of himself. Heinrich examined his scalded skin. He looked like a lobster now.

~!#$%^&*()_+

On Pine Avenue, a black blob lay in an alley way. It looked like a crippled old man, yet completely different. It was a mass of black, barely visible in the dark.

He chuckled darkly.

"Soon . . . the last of my new sins will be born. . . ." The blob coughed weakly. "I never thought I'd be happy that Hoenheim and his children got the better of me. . . . But now that the younger has his body, the older is perfect to harvest upon."

It coughed again, harder this time.

"Soon I will return to my proper form. Soon I will get my revenge."

It laughed weakly.

"Thank you, Edward Elric. . . ."

It spat blood, the blood as dark as the blob itself.

"You made yourself such as easy target . . . for my rehabilitation. . . . It's only a matter of time . . . ."

. . . .

Unless of course the original Greed messed things up.


	37. Chapter 37

Red Roses2: Lovely readers . . . please review! It'd be really nice if you guys told me what you liked about my writing and what you didn't like. I'm kind of thinking I have way too much dialogue, but if any of you think differently, or have any advice as to how to work around that, please share your opinions.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Heinrich panted, his muscles burning with the exertion. Cold sweat running down his face, he ran, eyes wide in fear. The sounds of footsteps behind him echoed, and he picked up the pace. The footsteps were constant, slow, like the person was walking, but the sounds kept getting louder and louder.

Heinrich didn't even know where he was. Black enshrouded everything. He could barely see his breath, but then again, how cold did the puffs of air mean the room was? He couldn't tell.

He heard the unsheathing of a knife and ducked instinctively as a blade flew over his head. Had he stayed where he was, it would have lodged itself in the back of his head.

"Is there really a point in running away?" asked a voice, unfamiliar yet Heinrich felt he had heard it before somewhere.

Heinrich kept running, his pace picking up, the risk of tripping greater.

Shink! Shink!

Two more blades flew through the air, grazing his shoulder and knee.

Heinrich panted harder, ran harder, feared harder.

Shink! Shink!

His clothes ripped. Blood spurted from small but deep cuts.

Shink! Shink!

One knife missed entirely, but the other successfully lodged itself in his back, between two of his ribs. Heinrich cried out in pain, but he kept running. If he stopped, whoever was behind him would kill him!

Heinrich's foot caught on something, and he hit the ground with a resounding THUMP! The German struggled to get back to his feet, but he heard another _shink_, this one so close his assailant _had_ to be standing right next to him.

"I'm sure you're a good guy, but I can't forgive someone who would deliberately hurt Ed like that."

"I didn't mean to!" Heinrich yelled, still unable to see his attacker. He could make out a pair of boots – military-styled boots – but he could barely see above his attacker's knees. "It was an accident!"

"That's what they always say. I had a sister once upon a time. Thought she had found the perfect guy. I was happy for her until the bastard killed her one day, beating her skull repeatedly."

"I'm not like that!" Heinrich insisted. "I'm not!"

"That's what they all say," the assailant repeated. Though he couldn't see it, Heinrich knew the attacker was raising his knife, ready to plunge it into his heart.

"I didn't mean to hurt him!" Heinrich screamed. "I love him!"

"Sure you do."

Heinrich sweated with dread. He was really going to die here. No, no, he had to make it up to Ed first. He had to! He had to make it up to him!

"Who are you!?" Heinrich shrieked as the knife tore through his skin, his muscles, cutting right through a rib.

Heinrich's eyes flew open, and he bolted upright, panting heavily. He looked around the room. His dresser stood against the wall. His desk with his pens and papers and work journals sat in the corner beneath the window. His clothes lay in the laundry basket next to the bedroom door. He was in his bed, Ed lying next to him perfectly asleep.

Who the hell was that? He had never met the man before. He wasn't even sure the man actually existed. Was he just a figment of his imagination?

But the voice had been familiar. He knew he heard that voice before. But where?

Slowly, his eyes widened as he realized where he had heard that voice last. The voice was from Germany. . . .

~!#$%^&*()_+

The next morning carried the worse silence they had ever felt. Winry and Scar looked at each other, uncomprehending what could have caused this depressing aura. A suspicious bruise developed on Ed's cheek, but when Winry asked where it came from he mumbled something about hitting himself with the door. Heinrich refused to eat. The German just stared at the table morosely, hugging his elbows. Hoenheim ate, but with the out-of-it expression on his face, Winry bet that he could have been eating charcoal and maggots and still have the same look. Little Greed looked just as confused as the engaged couple, but he seemed to know what had happened but not why. Pride mirrored her "father", occasionally shooting glances at him.

Scar and Winry exchanged looks. They nodded in unison. Scar stood up.

"Fullmetal, it's time to leave," Scar said.

Ed nodded, gave what was left on his plate to Little Greed – who had no qualms about eating it rapidly – and grabbed his coat.

Heinrich finally looked up from the table. His mouth and throat moved as though he was going to say something, but he changed his mind and resorted to merely watching him.

Ed looked back and gave a small wave goodbye.

Winry took the plates and proceeded with the chores. She gave any food that was left to Little Greed, who only stopped eating when his stomach couldn't handle any more. The two homunculi then dashed up the stairs, Little Greed dragged Pride. Heinrich rose from his chair with much effort and slipped silently into the backyard, despite the fact that the plane was already finished.

Winry sat across from Hoenheim.

"Mr. Hoenheim, what happened?"

Hoenheim looked up at her, his eyes moist. He sighed heavily.

"Winry, I don't know what to do. Ed – Ed won't – when he should – and I don't know why and - ."

Winry reached across the table and touched his hand.

"Why don't you start at the beginning? Okay?"

Hoenheim nodded and clasped his hands together, his elbows leaning on the table.

"Heinrich and Ed had an argument and – and it escalated to the point when Heinrich h-hit him."

Winry gasped, and Hoenheim cursed the hitch in his voice.

"The young man really is sorry about it, and I can't bring myself to be angry anymore. Because – because I can't help Ed anymore, Winry. Ed didn't even bother to stand up for himself. Heinrich even _wanted_ him to. But he bent to Heinrich's will. Winry, this isn't my son anymore."

Winry frowned and tightened her grip on his hand.

". . . Actually, I believe that." Hoenheim looked up at her, wonderingly. "Ed is very self-sacrificing. If he can find a good reason for it, he'll do it. And he's been more self-sacrificing than usual for a long time now, hasn't he?" Hoenheim nodded. "Hoenheim, maybe it's time Ed got some help. Maybe you two could get it together. Remember when we talked about you getting some therapy?" Hoenheim nodded again. "Maybe you two could get some kind of father-son deal or something. From the looks of things, you need it. I know this really good therapist. The only problem is that she's in the East."

Hoenheim lowered his head, weighing Winry's suggestion.

M-maybe . . . . He kind of hoped Ed fought the idea though. That would mean the aggressive, rebellious kid he helped bring into the world really was still in there and just needed exactly what Winry was suggesting.

"Know where I can find out who's good in Central?" Hoenheim asked.

Winry smiled.

"I can ask the one in the East about it."

~!#$%^&*()_+

Scar had no idea what Greed was doing sleeping on the couch in Mustang's office, but the reaction to the bruise on Ed's cheek didn't give him or Ed a chance to ask.

"Fullmetal, what happened to your face?" Mustang asked, surprised.

Ed glared at him.

"Ran into a wall."

Scar furrowed his eyebrows. "That's not what you told Winry."

Ed glowered at him, reminding Scar of how the blond used to treat him.

Mustang frowned at the apparent discrepancy in stories. Scar sensed Mustang's subordinates watching them, listening closely to what they were saying. Scar glanced at Havoc's desk, where the smoking man scribbled something down on paper. Scar raised an eyebrow at the paper's "Investigay" title.

"Is something wrong?" Mustang asked Ed.

Ed just didn't answer it. "You want me to watch the practical State Alchemy Exam, right?"

The Brigadier General and the Lieutenant Colonel stared at each other in silence for a long time. Mustang surrendered first, closing his eyes and conceding that yes, that was Ed's job today. Ed saluted him and left to go do that. Scar hesitated, then extracted his journal and plopped it on Havoc's desk. He hurried after Ed, Havoc raising an eyebrow at the leather-bound book.

Havoc picked it up and flipped it open. His eyebrows flew up at the very-helpful info.

Breda walked over to Havoc's desk.

"What is it?" Breda asked.

Havoc smirked. "Important info for Mission Investigay." The smoking lieutenant looked up at the newest recruit in the Investigay mission. "Looks like Winry had Scar keeping tabs on Ed and Heinrich."

Breda matched his smirk. "Great!" The red-haired soldier waved the others over. Hawkeye, Fuery, Falman, and Mustang put their work away, and they all congregated around Havoc's desk.

"Why would Ed lie about that bruise?" Fuery asked, much troubled by the fact. He remembered clearly what Al told them, but wouldn't out-right hitting be a little obvious? The Fullmetal Alchemist wouldn't stand for that kind of treatment. . . . Right?

Mustang shook his head. He didn't want to consider that Ed would allow that to happen, either.

Hawkeye rested her hands on her hips. "So how do we find out for sure? Asking Ed won't bare fruit."

Falman scratched his chin. "What if we asked those two kids that are living with them now?"

"You mean Little Greed and that girl?" Havoc asked. Falman nodded.

"Would they really tell us? They seem like the type that would handle things themselves or not give a damn," Breda argued.

"No harm in trying," Mustang said.

"What if we ask Hoenheim?" Fuery suggested.

"No. Hoenheim is like Ed that way. He won't try to get us involved," Hawkeye rebuked.

Fuery frowned. "But who else could we ask?"

"Beat it out of Heinrich?" Havoc proposed.

He was met with a five-voiced "Havoc!"

"Just putting it out there," Havoc defended. His companions sighed.

"Havoc, that attitude is what got your gun taken away," Mustang admonished. "You can't just lash out at everyone who hurts Ed." Havoc bit down harder on his cigarette.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means what it says. You attacked Al verbally, you killed that emperor, you essentially threatened the rest of us, and now you're more than ready to go beat Heinrich to a pulp. Havoc, I've ignored it this far, but you're going to _have_ to get your temper in check."

Havoc narrowed his eyes and cast his gaze onto a random inanimate object in the opposite direction of Mustang.

"I just don't want to see him cry again," Havoc said. Mustang's and Hawkeye's expressions softened. "He's the Fullmetal fucking Alchemist, the People's Alchemist, hero of the common man. One of the best soldiers in this military, and a very good friend. It hurts to know someone that strong – that _capable_ – can be broken down to a blubbering mess. . . . By his own brother, by complete strangers . . . . I don't want to add "by his boyfriend" to the list anymore than you guys do, but God help me, someone needs to look after him."

Silence settled heavily in the room. Hawkeye took a deep breath.

"How?" she asked.

No one had an answer for her.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Fletcher tried to pay attention to his brother's transmutation, but the purple bruise on the Lieutenant Colonel's cheek kept distracting him. It was an awfully big bruise. He wondered where it came from. It looked to be the size of a small apple or a fist. Did he get into a fight with one of the other soldiers?

Ed wrote some things on a clipboard about Russell's transmutation.

"Okay, Russell, that's enough. Let someone else try!" Ed called across the field.

Russell grinned at him jokingly. "And here I was just getting warmed up."

Ed rolled his eyes. Russell walked back towards Fletcher and winked at him.

"Good luck, little bro," Russell said.

Fletcher gulped as he realized it was his turn. Um, they had agreed he'd transmute a climber to go with the tree, right? To simulate the ability to work as a team? Yeah, that sounded right. . . .

Russell watched as Fletcher drew his transmutation circle.

"So Ed," Russell said.

Ed snorted. "I'm not telling you how you did, if that's what you're asking."

Russell smirked. "Nah, that's not it. I was kind of wondering who you got in a fight with."

Ed's pen stalled for a moment, but it went back to scribbling his opinion of Fletcher's transmutation.

"Just want to know who I shouldn't piss off. That bruise looks like someone clocked you pretty good."

"You should see the other guy," Ed said flatly. Russell's eyes widened in confusion at the lack of vindication in Ed's voice.

"Guess you won that fight, then, right?" Russell asked.

Ed shrugged. "Ended in a tie."

"Really." Something wasn't right here.

Ed shouted to Fletcher, telling him when he could stop trying to impress them. Fletcher hurried back to his brother's side.

"How'd I do, Russell?"

"Great, Fletcher. Now we just wait for their decision."

Fletcher turned to Ed. "Will you get to decide, Ed?"

Ed shook his head. "That's the Fuhrer's, General's, and Brigadier's decision. I'm just here to regulate." Ed flashed them a grin. "Besides, I might be accused of favoritism!"

"Right," Russell said, still feeling uneasy. The purple tint to Ed's cheek suddenly looked menacing. "So when do we find out who got picked?"

"They'll announce it tomorrow evening at a real fancy dinner. All the State Alchemists will be there, so be sure not to screw up your first impressions. They'll be your fellow researchers."

"We won't!" Fletcher replied happily – trying to ignore the mysterious bruise. It bothered him for some reason. It wasn't that he hadn't seen bruises on people before – he and his brother even gave each other a few in playful and not-so-friendly scuffles. He just had the feeling that there was something bigger behind it.

Fletcher and Russell walked down the street from the Central Headquarters. They stopped at the same time and turned to each other.

"Brother, where do you think Ed's bruise came from?" Fletcher asked.

Russell frowned.

"I don't know, Fletcher. But . . . remember when Mom started dating? After Dad left?"

Fletcher bowed his head. Yeah. He remembered.

He remembered how their mother's blood puddled on the doorstep.

"What does that have to do with Ed?" Fletcher inquired, looking back at Russell.

Russell closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

"I don't want it to be like that!" Russell shouted suddenly, his instinct telling him one thing, but his fear of it making him doubt it. "This is Edward Elric we're talking about, who'd get pissed off whenever someone called him short, for God's sake! He saved our asses, got us on the respectable path – gave us the _chance_ to – and practically inspired us to become state alchemists and gave _real_ life to Xenotime and – and who the hell would be able to do that to him, anyway? An alchemist? A superior? Who?"

Fletcher frowned. "Brother, remember that book on psychology I tried to get you to read?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"It had a chapter on this sort of thing . . . and it said that even though a person is perfectly capable to make it stop, there's something in the back of the head telling them they can't, or that they deserve it. We don't know Ed as well as others do, Brother. Maybe self-doubt is normal for him."

Russell tightened his fists.

"No. I don't believe that for a moment."

Fletcher sighed and walked ahead. His brother would never admit it, but he idealized Ed. Sometimes Fletcher wondered if Russell wanted to really be Ed, not just imitate him like they did when they first went to Xenotime.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Winry dragged Scar off somewhere almost as soon as Ed and he came back. Scar raised an eyebrow at his fiancé. Winry smiled and winked at him, her way of saying "I'll explain it later". Scar looked over his shoulder at the house to see Hoenheim leaving it as well, sighing heavily and proceeding to make his long walk early.

Ed closed the front door behind him, wondering where they were going. He caught a whiff of delicious fumes coming from the kitchen. Curious, he wandered into the kitchen, his eyes widening at the meal already prepared. Golden eyes trailed across the table, then rose to meet Alfons's blue ones. Ed hugged his flesh arm with his automail one – looking like he was waiting to be judged.

Alfons smiled weakly.

"Greed and Pride already ate. . . . Greed didn't complain, but Pride refused to eat it after the first bite. I hope it's not _that_ bad. . . ." Alfons rambled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I - ,"Ed started, his voice as breathy and fragile as it was last night. "I didn't talk to Mustang about Greed yet. . . ."

Alfons waved dismissively. "Doesn't matter. It wasn't my place to make a big deal out of it. . . ."

Ed lifted his head slightly, golden eyes desperate. "You were just trying to look out for me . . . ."

Alfons rested his hands on his hips. "How does _hitting_ you accomplish that?"

Ed glanced to the side. Alfons sighed and pulled out a chair for Ed. Ed hesitated, but sat. Alfons took the seat next to him. They ate in silence, continuously glancing at the other.

Once the plates were cleared of food, Alfons said, "Did anyone ask about it?" He pointed to his own cheek.

Ed nodded. Alfons gripped his elbows.

"What did you say?"

"Told Mustang I ran into a wall. Russell assumed I got in a fight."

Alfons frowned. "You could have told the truth."

Ed shook his head. "I didn't want to." Alfons lowered his eyes. "But," The German looked back at him. Ed's eyes sparkled with tears. "I hate how this makes me feel. This – this feeling that I did something wrong."

Alfons reached for Ed's hand. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Ed ignored his words. "For five months, I felt like this. When Al left me. It drove me crazy, with how much it hurt. I thought the pain was going to kill me." Ed met Alfons's gaze. "You made the feeling go away. I still hurt because of it, but not as much. It still hurts, a little, but I can live with it. But - !" Ed's face tore up in misery. "But when you hit me, it all came flooding back!" Ed covered his face; whether it was an attempt to hide his tears from Alfons or to obscure his vision of the German, he wasn't sure. "It hurt so much, and I was scared you were going to leave like Al did, so I said it was fine, but you're right, it's not fine, but I don't know how to make it _be_ fine and I'm so scared you'll change your mind and leave me!"

Alfons pulled Ed into his arms and held him tightly, doing something that any one else could do and yet it was the only thing he could think of. He merely hugged him.

"You haven't done anything wrong. Not with Al, not with me. We're just bastards, okay?"

Ed shook his head, his hair catching on one of Alfons's buttons. Alfons hugged him tighter.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm sorry I _made_ you feel that way. You deserve better than that. I'm going to try to give you better, okay?"

Ed nodded, gripping onto Alfons as though he were a life-line. Alfons trembled with his own emotions, trying not to cry.

"Just don't leave," Ed whispered.

Alfons tightened his hold on him. "I won't."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ran Fan and Fu watched as Mei and Al argued. Al ran a hand through his hair, his Xingese-styled sleeve sliding down his arm. Mei held Ming in one arm and rested her other hand on her hip. The one-year-old was getting a little big for that, though.

"Why can't we ask Ed if he could baby-sit her every now and then?"

"Brother's work with the military exhausts him, and he already has those two other 'kids'," Al used air-quotes when he said kids. "He has enough on his plate."

"I think he'd like to get to know his niece more."

"Why can't we just invite him over or something?"

"Al!" Mei glared at him, clearly losing her patience. "You know very well he gets too distracted trying just being a 'good brother' instead of just being himself! _I_ can never learn who your brother is. All I can do is hear your stories of who he has been in the past. Ming needs to know her _real_ uncle. She deserves the chance!"

"So you're saying this is my fault," Al stated glumly, crossing his arms.

Mei sighed. "That just means that she won't be able to if we're there all the time."

Al slumped his shoulders and covered his eyes with his hand.

"Fine. Do what you want."

Mei smiled, leaned over, and kissed Al on the cheek. Al ignored it. Mei turned all her attention onto Ming.

"Now, let's get dressed up for visiting Uncle Ed."

"'Ay!" Ming cheered.

When Mei and Ming were ready to go to Ed's, Al made the split decision to go with them. Mei knew he would.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Knock, knock, knock. Al fidgeted on the doorstep. Okay. Relax. You were just visiting your older brother to see if he'd baby-sit your kid. The constant reminder that you ran off, broke his heart, and knocked up a practically random girl. Damn it, that's not relaxing.

The door opened way too soon for Al.

Heinrich stared at them, surprised. "Al. Mei. What are you two doing here?"

Mei smiled brightly at him. "May we come in?" Ming threw in an endearing "'Ay!" for good measure. Ming's charm worked, and Heinrich opened the door wider.

The bubbliness that builds up in a person when they see a baby did not keep Heinrich from shooting a glare at Al. Al glared back. Insufferable asshole.

Mei's voice cut into Al's heart like a knife.

"Oh. Um, did we come at a bad time?"

Al peered into the kitchen. His eyes widened as he took in the scene before his wife. Ed sat there, grinning at her, his left cheek bruised and his eyes red, like he had been crying.

"Nah, everything's fine."

Al narrowed his eyes and glared at Heinrich all the more. Heinrich had the decency to just look away and rub the back of his neck.

"Did you come here for a visit, or was there something you wanted?" Ed asked, eyeing the tension between Al and Heinrich warily.

"Dada!" Ming squealed, pointing at Ed. Ed blushed and Mei laughed.

"No, sweetie. That's your uncle Ed, Daddy's older brother. Can you say Uncle?"

"Un-ca!"

"Very good, Ming!"

Ed smiled. Mei matched it.

"Ed, I was wondering if it wouldn't be too much trouble if you could baby-sit Ming sometimes." Mei asked. Ed raised an eyebrow curiously. "I just thought it'd be nice if Ming got to be close to at least one of her uncles."

"Sure. That sounds like fun. Doesn't it Ming?"

Ming squealed another "'Ay!" Mei and Ed laughed.

Al finally removed his glare from Heinrich. "Brother?"

"Yeah?"

"Where'd the bruise come from?"

Ed stalled for a moment, then he remembered one of his excuses. "Ran into the door."

"Really."

"Yeah."

Al narrowed his eyes at him. Ed shifted nervously in his chair. A vein in Al's forehead throbbed. Ed was a good actor. Always had been. But even when Ed gave a good performance, Al could always tell when he was lying. Seeing through this rather feeble attempt was child's play. Al gritted his teeth.

"Did Heinrich hit you?"

Heinrich stiffened slightly.

"No!" Ed protested – too quickly, too loudly, too passionate.

Heinrich swallowed hard. "Look, it's not how it - ."

Al clapped his hands together, and before Heinrich realized it, he was hitting the hardwood floor – hard – and blood rained down on him. The German looked up. Al's hands pressed against where Heinrich's body had been moments before, but the bleeding flesh now there belonged to someone very different.

"B-Brother?" Al said faintly.

Ed gagged, blood dribbling down his chin. His eyes glazed over. Blood seeped through his clothes and fell to the floor in big, bright red drops. It trickled down his legs, painting a macabre picture. Mei covered Ming's eyes, unable to tear her own away.

Ed glanced at Heinrich, the German staring horrified at him. He forced a smile. "You okay?" Ed swayed slightly, Al catching him.

Laughing echoed from upstairs. Heinrich and Al looked up the flight to see Pride and Little Greed standing at the top. Pride covered her mouth, the sounds of her gathering up a loogie resonating through the horrified hallway. Little Greed flashed a grin at his sister.

"Looks like we get Wrath and Envy for little brothers, Sister."

"That we do, Brother. But it wouldn't be good if Mother bled to death."

"You won't let that happen, Sister. Should I go get our little brothers?"

"No, let them crawl their way out on their own. Besides, who knows what Wrath will do once he's out."

"True, Sister, true."

Movement in Ed's direction distracted Heinrich for a moment. He looked at Ed's paling, bloody form, and his eyes widened in shock as, from the open wounds, rose a hand.


	38. Chapter 38

Red Roses2:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Mei's scream caught in her throat. A hand – the size of a child's – grasped the air, trying to find something to grab hold to. Blood bathed it, and a wrist forced itself to enter the world outside the gaping wound in Ed's abdomen. A bicep slowly followed, making a squelching sound.

Al could only gape, terror pulsing through his body. He hurt his brother. He had used Scar's technique – the same technique that the military had ordered him never to use again – to seriously maim Heinrich, and he hurt his brother instead. His brother – his brother could die from this. And what was that _thing_?

An elbow finally emerged, and the thing managed to pull its torso out after it. Its head broke through the blood and muscle like it was water, gasping for air. It spat blood out of its mouth viciously. Its long black hair fell in its face, matted to its skull and dripping with blood. Its tunnel-dark eyes glared up the stairs at its siblings. It held out a hand, reaching for Pride and Little Greed.

Little Greed leaped down the stairs and grasped its hand. The third homunculus grunted as he and Little Greed pulled his lower half out with a resounding _pop_! He spit Ed's blood out of his mouth and snorted, red flying from his nostrils. He wiped his eyes and flicked specs of red onto the wall.

Pride raised an eyebrow. "You're a little big," she said.

He glared at her as he pulled his blood-drenched hair back, using one of his own strands to tie it into a pony-tail.

Pride took her time descending the stairs. She stood over Ed's body and frowned.

"Shouldn't Envy be out by now?"

Little Greed rolled up his sleeve. "Want me to get him?"

Pride bit her lower lip, then nodded. Heinrich grabbed Little Greed's arm.

"What are you doing?" Heinrich asked weakly.

Little Greed grinned at him.

"Pride can't heal Mother if our little brother's still in there. Not when he's ready to come out. So I help Envy, then Pride heals Mother."

Little Greed broke away from Heinrich's grasp, knelt down next to Ed, and plunged his arm into Ed's body with a sickening squishing sound. Al, Mei, and Heinrich whimpered. Ming began to cry.

Ed just lay there, unconscious.

Little Greed moved his arm around some, then he grinned.

"Got him!"

Little Greed pulled with all his might, and, with the most gruesome sound the humans had ever heard, released his youngest sibling. Blood splattered in frightening amounts onto the floor, Al's and Heinrich's clothes, and the wall. The body of Envy crumbled in a heap on the floor, struggling to get to its feet.

Pride immediately went to work, spreading her spit-covered hands across Ed's wounds and hacking up loogies like they were bullets and she a machine gun. Saliva dribbled from her mouth. With every application of spit, Ed's wounds healed astronomically. In a matter of minutes, the only evidence that Ed was ever hurt was the blood covering the hallway.

Pride stood up once she was finished and stared right at Heinrich.

"Mother will need lots of rest. You should take him to bed. Brother Greed and I will handle Brothers Wrath and Envy." Pride shot a glare at Al. "You, dear Uncle, will have to leave." Pride swerved her eyes onto Mei, expression already softening. "You may stay. Mother will be able to talk about baby-sitting in a few hours. There is tea in the cabinet if you'd like some while you waited." Pride settled her glare on Al once again. "Here is your only warning: Wrath has no sense of restraining himself. Wrath will kill you once given a reason to, no matter what. You've dodged this bullet, since it gave birth to him, but don't expect to get away Scott-free again. Now get out."

Heinrich carefully picked Ed up, cradling him like he would a child – except he realized he had never held Pride like this. Only Ed. Now certainly wasn't the time to think about it.

Al practically tripped his way through the front door, Pride closing it firmly after him.

Mei crept farther into the kitchen, horror pounding in her veins. Ming still cried against her chest. Mei was grateful the one-year-old hadn't seen any of the blood. . . .

Unfortunately, Mei couldn't read Ming's mind. Ming was a special little girl, who would grow up to have a talent for alchemy like her father and uncle. But though she didn't see the blood, she could sense the homunculi. And they scared her more than any bloodshed would in the future.

"Greed, I want you to get clothes for Wrath and Envy," Pride ordered.

Little Greed dashed to fulfill her wish. Pride spat into her hand once more, and wiped Wrath's face. Pride noticed that there were no similarities between his face and her own. She smirked as she realized who he must've looked like: a younger version of Van Hoenheim.

Wrath glared at her, but she didn't mind. She understood that was the only look he was capable of.

"He ruined my development," Wrath growled. He brought a bloody hand to his right ear. "I can't hear with this one, and I couldn't taste the blood."

Pride continued to spit-bathe him. She didn't even spare Envy a glance. Envy lay huddled in a corner, nothing more than a blood-red imitation of a human body.

"He ruined Envy's, too," Wrath continued bitterly. "He won't look like anyone for a while."

Pride finished her chore and pressed a kiss onto her brother's nose.

"Don't worry, Brother Wrath. Envy will get his revenge." Pride's grin widened. "He'll look just like Alphonse Elric now, after all."

Wrath's scowl twisted into an evil grin. "That he will, Sister. That he will."

~!#$%^&*()_+

Blood still covered the hallway when Scar, Winry, and Hoenheim returned. The three stared at the hall, jaws hanging. Winry dropped her purse. Blood stained it as it hit the floor, drops splattering on her shoes.

"W-what - ?" Winry gasped. Scar tightened his hold on her shoulders.

"Is anyone here?" Scar called out.

Mei poked her head around the kitchen wall.

"Yes. Ed and Heinrich are upstairs. . . . The homunculi are in the living room. . . ." Mei said quietly, Ming asleep in her arms.

"What happened?" Winry asked.

Mei flinched as she remembered her husband's blood-stained hands and the child ripping himself out of Ed's body.

"Th-there are two more homunculi children. . . ." was all she could say.

Hoenheim's eyes widened, and he hurried up the stairs. He pushed open the door to Heinrich's – no, Heinrich and Ed's – room and sucked his breath in.

Ed lay on the bed, deathly pale, shirt ripped and crusted with dried blood. With his eyes closed, Hoenheim prayed he was just asleep. The subtle movement of his chest eased his worries – slightly.

Heinrich sat near him, not daring to disturb the bed or Ed. His jaw was set and his eyes shined with moisture. His body trembled with fear. His lips twitched between frowning and moving in sobs. He was struggling not to cry.

Hoenheim stood next to him, taking in the frightfully pale color of Ed's cheeks, lips, and hands.

"What happened?" Hoenheim breathed, irrationally fearing that, if he spoke too loudly, Ed's life would just slip away.

Heinrich's face tore with pain. He gritted his teeth, strangling sounds escaping his throat. His body trembled more violently.

"Al and Mei came by to talk to Ed about maybe baby-sitting Ming," Heinrich said weakly, his words fighting hard to not come out as sobs. "Ed and I had been talking about what happened yesterday, so his eyes were a little red from crying. . . . With that and the bruise, Al got overprotective and . . . it was supposed to be _me_ like that. It was supposed to be _my_ blood all over the hallway. But Ed pushed me out of the way. . . and . . . ."

The German could say no more, and Hoenheim didn't want him to. Hoenheim hesitated, then reached his hand out to stroke Ed's bangs. Like he did when Ed was sleeping as a toddler. Like he did when he calmed Ed down from his breakdowns. Like he wished he could more often. If only Ed would let him.

Hoenheim wondered if he was supposed to feel embarrassed as he broke into tears. He wondered what it said about him when a young man who had seen the horror could hold back his sobs and screams and he couldn't. He wondered what it would have been like to just not have to deal with incestuous sons, boyfriends from other dimensions, homunculi grandchildren, and overprotective brothers who just didn't stop to _think_ about the consequences.

He wondered what Trisha would think of his parenting skills. Because they really did suck. Maybe if he just kicked Heinrich out on his ass when Ed failed to, Al wouldn't have felt the need to lash out. Maybe if he had stayed instead of going on that walk, he would've been there to keep Al from hurting anyone. Maybe if he had just stayed home all those years ago, when Ed and Al were three, he wouldn't be regretting so much.

Then again, they may all have been dead.

All of the guilt he had been feeling ever since he started holding Ed when he cried poured out of him as he wept for his deathly pale son.

Hoenheim wasn't sure he'd be able to go through therapy after all.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Envy Elric finally stretched out of his huddled form in the corner. He stood up and shot a glare in Pride's, Wrath's, and Little Greed's direction. He pushed his newly acquired bangs out of the way – bangs of a dark brown more than a black. His midnight eyes injected his cynicism and frustration into his siblings. He pulled at his somewhat chubby cheeks and tweaked his nose. He already knew who he looked like, but he already detested it. How come he couldn't be beautiful like Brother Greed? Why did he have to get stuck with the hideous appearance of the ignorant, stupid, brainless Alphonse Elric? In fact, why did he have to be the only one who wasn't sure if Alphonse or Alfons was his damn father? Not that the damn thing even mattered; he'll probably just kill them both for being so goddamn annoying.

Not that he'd physically met Alfons Heinrich yet. The damn German was upstairs with Mother and Grandfather.

Speaking of Grandfather, he'd even rather look like Wrath, the youthful form of Grandfather. Or Pride. He didn't really like her hair, but it was better than this stupid short hairstyle with the stupid bangs going off to his right. And why the hell wasn't his hair black, like his siblings? Why was it fucking dark _brown_? Another screw up that Alphonse Elric caused.

He prayed to whatever _thing_ created him that Alphonse Elric was not his father. That fucking idiot. Forcing him to be like this.

Wrath matched Envy's glare.

"Are you going to wear the damn clothes or not?" Wrath spat; Envy wouldn't even be able to get away with the damn cursing once he actually talked. Wrath had an excuse, being incapable of feeling anything other than variations of anger. But no, Envy was just envy – jealousy – and couldn't _possibly_ have an excuse to curse. Urgh, he was going to _hate_ existing!

Envy snatched the clothes away from Pride, ignoring the frightened looks he was getting from the blonde woman and the tanned man. He forced his legs into the pants and violently shrugged on the shirt. He pouted as he looked at himself in the only reflective surface in the living room – the coffee table.

"It hides the ouroboros," Envy complained.

Pride shrugged. "My turtleneck hides mine, but you don't see me complaining."

Envy glared at her. "Only _partially_. I can still see its wing poking out onto your jaw line."

Pride rolled her eyes. "Only a homunculus would notice, Brother Envy."

Wrath sat next to her, dressed only in pants. His ouroboros tattoo stood out clearly on his pale chest; it marked right where a heart would be – if any of them had one.

His own tattoo was currently hiding under the – hideous – clothing on his knee. The tattoo was the only thing he liked about his current appearance, and he'd be slicing the pants to pieces as soon as Pride wasn't looking. The world would _know_ what he was if he damn felt like telling them.

But he wished the tattoo was in a more attractive spot. Like Brother Greed's. He wished it was in the small of his back, or at least in a sexier spot, like the inside of his thigh or something. Maybe his navel. He didn't really care. Then again, clothes that would show off a tattoo in those areas would probably look horrendous on an Alphonse Elric clone.

Ugh. He _hated_ Alphonse Elric.

Did he mention that already?

"When does Mother wake up?" Brother Greed inquired, shuffling his feet. Why the hell did Greed have to make everything look cute or sexy anyway? Why couldn't _Envy_ do that!?

Pride looked up at the clock above the mantel. "In a few more minutes."

Greed nodded and took a spot next to Wrath on the couch. Envy grinded his teeth.

Why couldn't he at least have looked a little attractive? Just a little? Have Greed's hair, have Wrath's muscle, have Pride's eyes. Any of that would make this hell of being the Alphonse Elric copy be bearable. But no. Alphonse Elric had to be completely unattractive in every way.

Damn. It. All. To. Hell.

"Edward!" Alfons Heinrich's panicked voice shot through the air like a harpoon.

Winry whimpered, and Scar tightened his grip on her hand. Mei held Ming tighter, flinching. No one had dared to clean the hallway yet. The homunculi froze, listening to what was being said upstairs. Pride's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. She stood up quickly.

"He wants to come down here. To see you two."

Wrath and Envy raised an eyebrow each.

"What's wrong with that?" Brother Greed asked.

"The hallway! I can't clean it up that fast! You two go up to him!"

Wrath grumbled something under his breath, but complied. He walked – barefoot – through the bloody hallway and up the stairs. With most of the blood dried, spreading it across the house wasn't much of a problem.

Envy cursed his appearance some more as he followed his brother.

Wrath knocked on the open bedroom door. Hoenheim looked up as he picked Ed off the floor. Envy chuckled at the sudden image of Hoenheim and Heinrich flailing to catch Mother as he tumbled out of bed.

If there wasn't a person he envied right now, it was Alfons Heinrich. He looked terribly similar to Alphonse Elric, and he couldn't even do alchemy! He was more useless than the baby in that woman's arms! He wondered what was worse: being useless or being an idiot like Alphonse Elric.

Hoenheim laid Ed back on the bed, Ed groaning slightly.

"You're not well enough to walk around yet," Heinrich said, standing next to the bed, looking horribly awkward and scared. "B-besides, they're up here with you now. . . ." He glanced fearfully at Wrath and Envy.

Envy smirked. Oh, yeah, being feared felt _good_!

Wrath's fists tightened and started trembling. Envy raised an eyebrow. What the hell was eating him now?

Envy finally took the time to actually look at Ed – and feel a little bad about ripping his insides to shreds.

Ed smiled weakly at them. Envy wondered if he even knew exactly how they ripped themselves out. Mother had been unconscious at the time, after all. But did that mean he didn't feel it?

"So, your names are - ?" Ed said, sitting up despite Hoenheim's attempts at laying him down.

Envy glanced at Wrath. His brother's mouth trembled.

"Envy Elric," the – youngest? Was he really? – homunculus answered. "This dumb ass is Wrath."

Wrath stiffened. Envy felt better. At least an insulted Wrath was predictable instead of . . . whatever the hell he was a second ago.

"Don't call your brother a dumb ass," Ed admonished, voice weak but meaning strong.

"Mother?" Wrath said, his voice trembling. Ed tilted his side to the side, Wrath's piercing glare somehow not penetrating that curious expression. "Never do anything like that ever again. If it weren't for Pride, you would have died."

Ah. Now he made sense. Wrath was always angry, but there were different kinds of anger. This was anger at – not only Mother – but at himself. It was the "I Love You" anger. Envy wasn't sure he liked this kind, but at least he wasn't angry at _him_.

Ed laughed feebly. "I certainly won't be doing it any time soon!"

Wrath narrowed his eyes. Envy rolled his.

"Come over here, both of you," Ed said, holding out his arms. Wrath took a deep breath and tried to keep himself together. Something he could only do around Mother. Envy strutted right up to him and sat down on the bed next to him. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror – and hated Alphonse Elric all the more. He looked _hideous_!

Ed ruffled his hair. Envy tore his eyes away from the mirror and gave Ed an annoyed look. Ed smiled at him.

"You're adorable," he said. Envy raised an eyebrow at him.

"_Adorable_?"

"Yeah!"

"You call _this_ adorable?"

Ed nodded. Envy looked in the mirror again. Nope, he still had the hideous brown hair, the chubby cheeks, the stupid nose, the midnight eyes – were his ears malformed? A quick look at Wrath's confirmed that they were shaped a little differently. Was that because he looked like Alphonse Elric or because Alphonse Elric screwed up his birth? He pulled at the ear he could see in the mirror. Ugh!

Envy almost didn't notice Ed pulling him into a hug; had he not noticed it in the mirror, he wouldn't have realized it. A hug would explain the sudden warmth surrounding him, though. Envy looked at Ed. A small smile weaseled its way onto his face.

He supposed the one thing he had going for him was that Mother liked how he looked. Why would he sleep with two people who looked so much alike, if he didn't?

Maybe – maybe it was like Pride. Pride looked like Trisha Elric, Mother's mother. Mother did say Brother Greed was cute, but not with nearly as much gusto as with Pride. Not that Brother Greed cared. He smirked as he realized maybe looking like Stupid Alphonse wasn't that bad after all.

~!#$%^&*()_+

When Ed finally could come down the stairs, the hallway was spotless. And Pride was gulping down a hundred glasses of water. Little Greed kept refilling, and refilling, and refilling per her direction. Mei, Scar, and Winry sat around the kitchen table, watching them.

"Are you all right, Edward?" Mei asked hesitantly.

Ed smiled at her, arms circling Hoenheim's neck and legs circling his waist, ankles locking together just above Hoenheim's belt buckle. "Yeah. Um, what were we talking about earlier?"

"Um. I don't remember." Mei lied. Ed's face still held its corpse-like quality. "I'll probably remember later."

Pride pushed another glass into Little Greed's hands. "Give Mother some juice."

Greed nodded and proceeded to do so.

Hoenheim gently set Ed down in a chair. Heinrich cautiously sat next to him, still scared. Wrath went to stand next to Pride, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed. Envy leaned against the kitchen wall, looking bored.

Ed scanned the room one more time, his lips twisting into a frown. He looked back at Mei.

"Where's Al?" he asked.

Heinrich tensed, and Mei practically shrunk into her chair. Winry furrowed her eyebrows.

"Al was here?" Winry said. Scar narrowed his eyes; that didn't sound right. . . .

Pride turned away from the sink and looked Ed right in the eye, gaze stern and features schooled. Ed stiffened.

With no sympathy – with no hesitation – Pride answered.

"I kicked him out. For his own safety and my own desire to never see him again."

"If I ever meet the man, I will snap his neck in two – if I'm feeling merciful," Wrath added, not bothering to look at Ed as he said it. "I'm deaf in one ear thanks to him. He almost killed you. He tried to kill Father. Envy's first hour in this world was filled with pain. He's going to pay for that."

Envy shrugged. "I honestly don't care for Alphonse Elric, either."

Little Greed set the glass of juice in front of Ed. Ed looked at him, his eyes questioning. Little Greed threw his shoulders back and set his hands on his hips.

"It would be ungrateful of me to dislike Alphonse Elric. He is my father, after all." Little Greed said; Heinrich flinched at the admittance. "However, I have no aversion to his death. Homunculi need not a second parent." Little Greed glanced at Ming. The one-year-old stared at him with bright gray eyes – the same eyes as her father. "Humans are different. Always will be. If Alphonse Elric's daughter wants him alive, I'll make sure he is." Little Greed tilted his head to get a better look at Ming.

Ming gurgled fearfully. Little Greed stepped back until she stopped.

"Ming Elric will be a great alchemist one day," Little Greed announced, surprising everyone, even his siblings. "I am happy to be her half-brother."

Little Greed knew Ming understood his words. He smiled a human smile when the baby finally relaxed.

~!#$%^&*()_+

She felt like there was something that she needed to remember. Something important. But what was it? All she could remember was the bright white space and her current companions. Now they wandered the streets of a place that she somehow knew she'd never have recognized, even if she could remember.

In the fuzzy background of her mind, she knew she would only recognize grassy hills and small houses, a beautiful lake and a herd of sheep. A graveyard and a dog, and a boy with golden hair.

The chimera next to her sniffed the ground and whimpered as it sat on his hindquarters. The man ahead of them turned around.

"Everything okay, Nina?" the man asked.

That was right. The chimera's name was Nina. She was part girl, part dog. Her father had transmuted her.

"Ed~ward," Nina said, her voice garbled and morphed. "Ed~ward hurt. Ed~ward sad. Must find Ed~ward."

The man – why couldn't she remember his name? – walked up to her and patted her head.

"I know, Nina. That's why we have to find him."

She was glad the man remembered so much. But she knew he didn't remember everything. He couldn't remember the name of someone very precious to him. But both he and Nina remembered Edward, and they kept telling her that she should remember him, too. The man said that she would remember; she just had to give it time.

Every time she heard the name Edward, she felt the spot where her heart was supposed to be throb painfully.

She felt like she had done something terrible to this Edward.

But why couldn't she remember what it was?

"Are you able to smell him, Nina?" the man asked.

Nina shook her head morosely.

"No. My nose does~n't work any~more."

The man sighed and pressed a hand against his temple.

"That's okay. We'll go to the Central Headquarters and dig up his home address. It's bound to be there."

He pushed his glasses farther up his nose and started walking again. Nina lifted her back legs and continued to follow him.

She trailed after both of them, now trying to remember what her own name was. Why would they think that she knew this Edward? Her chest throbbed again.

"What is your name again?" she asked the man.

The man turned around, looking at her, surprised.

"You don't remember? I told you when we met back in the white."

She shook her head. He smiled sympathetically.

"Guess you would have it worse off than Nina and me. My name is Brigadier General Maes Hughes. Do you remember your name?"

She shook her head again, feeling stupid.

"You're Trisha Elric."

She tried to remember where she had heard the name Elric before. She gasped as she realized it.

"Elric. That's the last name of the boy we're looking for."

Hughes nodded.

"Yep. Edward Elric is your oldest son."

Trisha lowered her head as she processed this information.

Wait.

Maybe she did remember something about him.

"_I think you'd really like him, Mom. He's really sweet. He can be a little overprotective at times, but that's okay. He's just looking out for me." His words wavered with the sounds of sobs, but happiness laced his voice. Leaves blew into Ed's blond locks. The hair tie was no longer keeping Ed's hair back, and that beautiful golden mane whipped about in the wind. Ed ran his flesh hand through his hair, fingers catching on a few tangles. "Guess the wind stole my hair tie," Ed joked. Sun glinted off of his automail arm. His clothes rippled with the wind and his movements. "Here, Mom. I transmuted them on my way here. Al got married. Did you know that? His wife's name is Mei. She's really sweet. Pretty, too. 'Course, she doesn't compare to you! They have a little girl named Ming. I swear, she's the cutest niece ever!" A twig snapped, and Ed looked over his shoulder. The wind cooled hot tears as they rolled down Ed's cheeks. A man she didn't know placed a hand on Ed's shoulder – his automail one. He pulled Ed into his arms and held him tightly. He pressed his cheek against the side of Ed's head, breathed in the combined smell of machine oil and raspberry shampoo, rubbed his right hand over the place where automail arm met flesh and his left hand down the small of Ed's back. Ed tilted his head confusedly._

"_Hei - ?"_

"_Alfons."_

"_Huh?"_

"_I liked it when you called me Alfons. It sounds wonderful when you say it."_

_Ed smiled as he nuzzled the man's neck._

"_Okay, Alfons. But what are you doing here?"_

_The "Alfons" pulled away from Ed, a small sad smile lingering on his lips._

"_I was hoping to say hello to your mother."_

_Ed matched the man's smile and turned towards the grave."Mom, this is Alfons." Ed's flesh arm circled around Alfons's waist. The wind blew Ed's hair onto the man's arm. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me."_

_The man pulled Ed's automail arm to complete the circle his flesh arm had started. Ed gasped. He looked up at the man and met his incredibly pleased smile._

"_You – you don't mind the automail?"_

_The man's eyes curved upward as his smile widened._

"_Why would I? It's part of you, and I love you."_

_Ed's face flushed adorably. He bowed his head and looked back at the grave._

"_Told you he was perfect."_

That man – she knew she had never met that man before. How she knew that, she didn't know, but it was a fact. She knew she wasn't in the grave, though. So why was he talking to a grave?

"Hughes?"

Hughes looked back at her once more. "Yes?"

"Are we dead?"

Hughes lowered his head. "Yeah. We're dead."

"Then why are we here?"

Hughes shrugged. "I don't understand alchemy in the slightest. All I know is that something bad is going to happen, and it's going to happen to Ed. And I can't just sit back and let it happen."

"Nei~ther can I," Nina said.

"I knew what it was before we came here, but now I can't remember. I'm hoping it'll come back to me soon." Hughes admitted, shoulders slumping.

Trisha lifted her head.

"I remembered something."

Hughes and Nina's expressions brightened – Trisha wondered if it was strange to be able to tell what a dog chimera was thinking from its expression.

"There's a man. Named Alfons. Edward is in love with him."

Hughes's face darkened. "Oh. That son of a bitch."

Trisha furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"

"While trying to figure out how to get here, I managed to gather a little bit of information about him. Yeah, he was the perfect boyfriend up until the point he smacked Ed across the face."

Trisha's eyes widened.

"This 'bad thing' has something to do with him – I know it. And he's not going to get the chance to destroy Ed. Right, Nina?" Hughes said.

"Right," agreed the dog chimera.

Trisha fidgeted. She tried to remember more, but it wasn't any use. All she could conjure up was the image of vintage armor, and a voice she couldn't attach to a face.

"_He's the perfect little knight, isn't he, Trisha?" _

"_Yes he is, honey. He'll make a certain someone very happy. But for now, he's our little knight!" _

Cheerful laughter chased her out of her own memories, the pain in her chest increasing.


	39. Chapter 39

Red Roses2: Sorry this took so long.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Mei walked down the street, Ming silent in her arms. The images of Wrath's and Envy's births repeated themselves over and over again. _Wrath's blood-bathed hand grasping at the air, his head breaking through, Little Greed ripping Envy from the confines of Ed's body._ She shook her head. She already knew she wouldn't be getting to sleep that night. Al probably wouldn't, either.

What had he been thinking? And what kind of alchemy had that been?

Mei stepped up to her house and stared up at its bright windows and oaken door. She swallowed heavily, took out her key, and opened the door.

Everything was in shambles. The couch looked like it had been put through a shredder. The coffee table was missing a leg, and its glass surface was cracked, its source a gaping hole in its middle. One of the _kitchen_ chairs lay in pieces against the bookshelf, books littering its remains like leaves. Pillow feathers fluttered about, the breeze from outside disrupting their descent to the ground.

The acrid smell of burnt wood wrinkled her nose. She glanced into the kitchen – it looked like someone had taken a torch to it. Slowly, she turned her head to the stairs.

A single, quarter-sized bloodstain marred the hand railing.

"Mei?" Fu's voice echoed down the stairs. Mei looked up; her father and her half-sister stood at the top, grim expressions upon their faces. She swallowed once more.

"What happened at the Elric household?" her father continued, methodically.

Mei schooled her features and marched up the staircase. She stood next to her father, determination shining in her eyes.

"Where is Alphonse?"

Ran Fan's eyes flashed with an indiscernible emotion – though it was safe to assume it was somewhat hostile – but Fu held up a hand to halt his daughter. Ran Fan drew her lips into a fine line, her body shaking with pent-up emotion – probably anger. Fu's eyes softened and hardened at the same time – in different places.

"He has locked himself in the closet. Ran Fan tried to confront him, but he pushed her out of the way."

Mei stole herself for what she had to ask.

"Whose blood is on the rail?"

Fu glanced at Ran Fan. "Alphonse's. Ran Fan smacked him, and his forehead collided with it."

Mei let out a sigh of relief. She handed Ming to Fu; her father's eyebrows flew up, but he took Ming into his arms, clearly wanting to ask what his youngest daughter was planning to do. Mei walked up to the closet and knocked on the door.

"Al?"

No response. Whether she heard a shift of boxes or a sob, she wasn't sure.

"I want to talk about what happened. Ed's all right – exhausted, but all right. His new children's names are Wrath and Envy. Envy – Envy looks a lot like you." Mei opened her mouth to say some more when the door opened.

It creaked open, swinging inward, revealing Al's puffy red eyes and his trembling form. His skin looked drained of blood, his hair matted to his head with sweat and hanging limply in front of his eyes. He looked like a corpse of his former self – the only part of him still alive were his eyes. His eyes shone with unshed tears and anger – at himself or someone else?

When Al spoke, surprise shook Mei's core.

"Those _things_ aren't children. They're monsters." Said with such finality. Without a stutter of any sort, despite the emotional turmoil they all knew was battling inside him.

Mei took a deep breath. "I agree that their births are . . . grotesque and they're awfully developed for being younger than Ming, but - ."

"That's not it," Al stated. As though he were teaching one of his alchemy classes at the university. "Homunculi are man-made humans. The original seven and their creator are the ones who waged the war that almost resulted in the destruction of Amestris." Al did not let his eyes stray from Mei's, but his hands started fidgeting. "They have no sense of human emotions. It's all fake for them. They're _not_ human at all, despite their appearance." Al finally lowered his eyes to his hands, which had started clapping for some reason. Clapping like they did when they performed alchemy. He balled his hands into fists. "There's no such thing as guilt for them. They're just monsters. Monsters born to kill and destroy." He gritted his teeth.

Mei shook her head. "I don't agree with that. Greed Elric isn't like that."

Al snickered mirthlessly.

"Greed always was the odd one out. But the original wasn't ever that different, so neither is this one."

Mei rested her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed.

"Those _children_ genuinely care for their 'mother', and they've determined you a _threat_, Al. You can't go near Ed without them lashing out."

Al looked up so fast, his neck popped – the calm and derisive attitude broken, revealing the terrified and ashamed man she knew had been crying underneath it. Mei sighed.

"Wrath has made it clear that he will kill you if he ever so much as sees you. And no one aside from me and Greed are really in positions to stop him if he tried. Envy may look like you, but he doesn't like you, and Pride's with Envy on this one." Mei softened her expression. "They may not be monsters, but you're right – they're not human. They don't think like you and me, and I don't think they'll be willing to accept that you can punish yourself for what you've done just fine." Al flinched at the slight acknowledgement of what he did. "Ed, however, has already forgiven you." Al's eyes widened, and it looked like those words sucked all the life out of him.

"Huh?" Delayed. Disbelieving. Guilty.

Mei sighed through her nose, her own strong visage slipping away.

"He told me to tell you that he's not angry with you and that he hopes he can change Wrath's mind about snapping your neck in two. He'll also be happy to baby-sit Ming once he's feeling better."

Predictably, Al's face tore up as the dam holding back his tears broke, and he fell to his knees, crying his heart out. Mei knelt down and pulled him into her arms, letting him cry on her shoulder.

Fu and Ran Fan stood there, confused. They stared at them for a moment, then looked at each other, and back.

Ming, contrary to what people would think, fell into a comfortable, happy sleep, dreaming of playing with her "new" brother, Greed Elric.

~!#$%^&*()_+

The original Greed yawned as he awoke from his slumber. He looked around Mustang's office and gathered two things: everyone else had left, and it was nighttime. Greed catapulted himself from the couch and stretched. He stopped when he heard the peculiar sound of canine nails tapping on the marble floors of Central.

What the? Black Hayate would have gone home with Hawkeye, wouldn't he?

"Are you sure you know where it is?" asked a voice Greed had never heard before.

"Yeah, it's right down this hallway. Should be with Ed's superior's papers. . . . Why can't I remember his name?" responded another voice Greed had never heard.

"Must help Ed~ward," added a third unfamiliar voice. Greed's eyes widened as he realized where he had heard a similar voice. The same warped vocals of a chimera he had to euthanize when he first gathered his chimera posse because it was in so much pain. . . . Greed crossed Mustang's office and opened the door. He passed Havoc's and Hawkeye's desks, Falman's and Fuery's, and Breda's and Ed's. He reached out for the other doorknob, but it moved before he could touch it. He stepped back as the door swung open, revealing the three in the hall.

Seeing their faces didn't lift any mysteries as to who they were . . . except the woman did look somewhat familiar. Where had he seen her before?

The man raised an eyebrow at him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Greed narrowed his eyes at him.

"I was going to ask you that. It's a little late for work, don't you think?" Greed took in the military uniform. "Besides, what are you, a Lieutenant Colonel?"

"Brigadier General!" the man retorted – as though by instinct – in an almost aggressive manner.

Greed snickered. "You can't be a Brigadier General. They already have one. His name's Roy Mustang."

The man blinked uncomprehendingly for a moment, and then his face lighted up.

"Roy! That's his name! Damn, how could I have forgotten Roy?"

Greed's eyes landed on the chimera he had heard. A small piece of his heart panged as he remembered Dorochet, Marta, and the others. Once he thought he had stopped missing them, something reminded him. It was almost as bad as pining after Ed all the time.

The chimera walked over to Ed's desk and lifted its front paws onto the desktop. It peered at the papers.

"Ed~ward's desk," the chimera announced, lowering its paws.

The man grinned comfortingly at her. "Great, Nina. That means Roy's desk should be over there, and Ed's address should be in one of the drawers. Probably in a drawer on the right."

Nina the Chimera trekked into Mustang's office, Greed only now realizing he hadn't closed the door all the way.

_Shink_.

Greed looked back at the man, just in time to notice the knife that was now at his throat.

"Now why don't you tell us who you are?" the man – Hughes, was it? – suggested, a smug grin in place. Greed shrugged and rolled his eyes, an equally smug smirk on his own mug.

"If you must know . . ." Greed walked up really close to Hughes's face, the corners of Hughes's mouth twitching downward. Greed's smirk widened. "I'm Greed, baby."

He could hear Hughes grinding his teeth. Greed chuckled, thoroughly enjoying making Hughes agitated.

"Oh, did my name ring a bell? Or am I just getting under your skin?" Greed taunted. "And what do you need Ed's home address for, anyway, hm?"

Hughes growled at him, but the woman behind him stepped up and looked confidently into Greed's eyes. Greed stepped back, once again struck by a sense of familiarity. _Where had he seen this woman before_?

"What is Edward Elric to you?" she asked firmly.

Greed blinked, struck by the similarities between that question and one that Pinako asked him back in Risembool: _What do you feel for Edward?_ He stared at the woman for a long moment, then his mouth twisted into a somber smile as he finally rested on what he believed to be an accurate description.

"Ed is a beautiful doll that I wish I could hold forever. Lust isn't an exact word, but I hardly think it's love. The point is, he's important to me." He pushed his sunglasses farther up his nose. "Does that answer your question?"

The woman's serious expression melted into confusion for a moment, then it froze back.

"We're wanting to help him with what's to come," she informed. Greed raised an eyebrow.

"You know about the Gate?"

Hughes and the woman nodded. The sound of drawers falling out of Mustang's desk crashed through their ears. All three of them looked at Nina, who glanced sheepishly back.

"Oops," Nina muttered. "Sor~ry."

Hughes and the woman smiled gently at the chimera.

"That's okay, Nina. We should be helping you, anyway," Hughes said as he walked past Greed, sheathing his knife. The woman stayed next to Greed, looking him up and down. Greed smirked once more.

"See something you like?" Greed teased. The woman shook her head. Greed frowned. "Who are _you_, anyway?"

At that moment, Greed figured it out. He knew where he'd seen her before.

He'd seen her in a picture. At the Rockbell house. On the wall. It had been a picture of Ed as a toddler – cutest damn toddler Greed had ever seen – Al as a baby, a man whose face he couldn't see from behind the corner of another picture, and a woman. Ed's mother. _This_ woman. . . .

Greed glanced back over to Hughes and Nina.

Trisha Elric was dead. So, did that make Hughes and Nina dead?

That would explain why they knew about the Gate. . . .

But he hadn't figured _this_ would happen. . . . The dead coming back to life. . . .

What did that change with what he told the military?

~!#$%^&*()_+

Scar closed the door to his and Winry's room and ran a hand through his hair. Winry smiled at him. The Ishbalan crossed the room and collapsed onto the bed next to her, too exhausted to insist one of them sleep on the floor. Winry laid her head on Scar's chest and sighed contently, the earthy, natural scent of Scar making her drowsy. Scar stared up at the ceiling, subconsciously running his right hand through her hair. He breathed deeply, Winry's head bobbing up and down as his chest inflated and deflated.

How could they fall asleep after what had happened that evening? They're living monsters, all four of them. Then again, he supposed that's what people probably said about him, outside of Risembool.

Scar closed his eyes as he remembered that rural town, part of Amestris and yet so cut off. They were practically part of Ishbal, and yet they were spared the terror of that horrible war. They had never heard of Scar the Alchemist Killer. They didn't realize they were supposed to fear him. The townspeople welcomed him with open arms, the women fawned over him once they were told he was Winry's fiancé, the men let him help with their work, and everyone took pity on him. He could see it in their eyes. He wasn't sure if it was because he was Ishbalan, or because he couldn't get a paying job while he was there. He liked to think it was the latter.

The only news that ever reached them was positive rumors about the Fullmetal Alchemist. Their golden boy, Edward Elric. Bringing glory to their little sheep-herding village. Did you hear what Ed's up to now? Yeah, it's amazing he can do all that! Did you hear what this researcher said in Central? No, what? It's supposed to be impossible to do alchemy without one of those circle things! Doesn't Ed just clap his hands? Yeah, isn't it great? That's amazing! He did something no one else could?

Poor, ignorant Risembool.

He wondered if they'd ever hear about the little monsters that were now Ed's responsibility.

Probably not.

And what good would it do if they did? They could do nothing about it. . . .

Could they?

"Scar?"

He peered down at Winry, finding her sapphire eyes sparkling up at him.

"Do you think Ed and Al will be okay?" she asked.

Scar frowned and averted his eyes. He could practically sense her beautiful mouth folding into a frown.

"I'm sorry, Winry."

Winry gnawed at her bottom lip, and Scar felt his shirt dampen as tears fell as they rolled off her cheeks. Scar cradled the back of Winry's head and kept his gaze on the insignificant dresser. It was not polite for an Ishbalan to watch someone cry. But he had watched it before. It had been hard not to.

_An 18-year-old Alphonse Elric ran through the hospital. Scar stared after him, then tried to blend into the waiting room wall. It would be best to limit the contact he had with the newly-bodied boy. . . . _

_A doctor caught Al's arm, his eyebrows flying into his hairline as he felt how fragile his body truly was. Al may not have been the skin-and-bones shell he was when Ed first restored him, but he was hardly well-nourished yet. _

"_Brother!" Al yelled, trying to fight against the doctor. His yell echoed throughout the hall, bringing other patients to halt everything. Scar pressed his back harder against the wall. What was Edward Elric doing back in the hospital? _

_The doctor managed to pull Al back into the waiting room. _

"_Young man, who is your brother?" _

_Al stopped fighting, his face scrunched up and tears welding in his eyes. _

"_Edward Elric." _

_The doctor's expression cleared with realization and knowledge. _

"_Well, that explains why you're so agitated. Major Elric did have a nasty fall today, and after all that blood loss a few weeks ago. . . ." The doctor trailed off as Al glared at him through those pain-filled tears. "The fall itself is nothing much to worry about. He did break a couple bones, but we've already put them in casts." _

"_W-why'd he fall?" As Al's voice cracked, the tears broke loose, cascading down in the largest drops Scar had ever seen. _

_The doctor shrugged. "According to the man who brought him in, he had just been walking down the stairs, had what appeared to be a sudden leg cramp, and tumbled down them. They had figured he was fine from all the cursing he did once he reached the bottom, but when they touched his arm, he yanked it away from them, saying it hurt, so they brought him here. He's fine, really. So just wait here and the two of you can leave soon enough." _

_Al numbly sat in a chair, unconsciously picking one right across from Scar. The younger Elric just sat there and cried silently until Ed showed up, his flesh arm in a cast. Scar watched at Ed panicked over Al, Al insisting he was fine and asking from Ed what had happened. Scar had noticed that Ed's story was different from the doctor's, but he didn't really care. The two brothers didn't even notice he was there. They talked and walked out, Al holding onto his brother by his automail arm. Ed grinned embarrassedly. _

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich stood awkwardly in the doorway, unable to decide what to do. Hoenheim lay next to Ed, in his and Ed's bed, stroking Ed's hair, the older man's eyes sparkling with desperation. Ed slept oblivious to his father's ministrations and rolled over onto his side, lips parting, his small breathes sneaking past his teeth. Hoenheim's eyes weld with tears, tears the older man didn't bother holding back. Because stressful things kept happening? Because he gave up? Because he didn't want to let go? Heinrich had no idea what went through Hoenheim's head.

Hoenheim wrapped an arm around Ed and pulled him close, flush against his chest, rested his chin on Ed's head and shut his eyes tightly, as though the motion was painful.

Heinrich walked away from the door and peeked into the homunculi's room. All four sins immediately looked in his direction. Heinrich blushed heavily, already knowing how they'd react to this request.

"C-Can I sleep in here with you guys?"

Envy snorted, Wrath narrowed his eyes, Pride rolled hers, and Little Greed shrugged indifferently.

Heinrich's eyebrow twitched in irritation – why couldn't they be normal children? Or at least pretend to be?

"Do you want to sleep in here?" Little Greed asked, fiddling with what looked like an airplane model Heinrich had sculpted before starting on his finished project.

Heinrich sighed. The answer: no. But . . . .

"I want to give Hoenheim time to get himself together. What happened with Al, Wrath, and Envy made him feel like he almost lost Ed – it made us _all_ feel like that – but he's taking it the hardest and . . . . Please let me?"

Little Greed shared a look with Pride, and Pride nodded. Wrath grunted, and Envy groaned, but no one complained when Heinrich closed the door.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Greed raised his eyebrow higher as Hughes, Trisha, and Nina trekked to the exit.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

All three stopped and looked back at him. The darkness obscured Hughes's face, but the little moonlight available revealed Trisha's uncertain expression, the small glance towards Hughes, the worried little frown. Greed smiled softly as he remembered how Ed's mouth would twist just like that.

"We're going to stop the Gate's further mutation," Hughes said.

Greed snorted. "And how are you going to do that? All you have is an address . . . ."

Hughes brought his hand up into shadow, and Greed heard the shifting of glasses as the dead man pushed them farther up his nose.

"Seven are needed to continue the mutation. All we need to do is kill one of them and everything's back to normal."

Greed furrowed his eyebrows and set his hands on his hips. "That's not right at all. He'll just find a substitute."

Trisha raised an eyebrow, and Nina looked confusedly up at Hughes.

"What are you talking about?" Hughes asked.

A sense of dread crawled up Greed's spine as he realized how little these three knew. Enough to be rallied to fix it, but not enough to do anything that would actually help. . . .

"Who are you going to kill?"

Hughes stepped out of the shadow into the moonlight, his features set and serious. Greed stepped into a horse stance, getting ready for anything. Except that name.

"Alfons Heinrich."

Greed raised an eyebrow.

"What's so special about him? Why is _he_ a factor with the Gate?"

Hughes gave him a look that most people saved for stupid people: the "you've got to be kidding me" look.

"He's from Germany. Germany is in Europe. Europe can only be accessed through the Gate. Who _else_ could I mean?"

The room began to spin, and Greed pressed his hands to the sides of his head to steady it.

"That's – that's not right," Greed insisted.

Hughes set his jaw and glared at him. His hand went to his sheathed knife. Greed held his hands out.

"Look, can we just call up the Brigadier General? I told him what I thought of the situation, so maybe we can figure this out together before you go killing someone? Not that I'd particularly miss him. . . In fact, it'd make my life _easier_ if he weren't here. . . ."

Hughes and Greed stared each other down for a long time before the dead man let his hand fall from his knife. Hughes stood straighter and smirked at Greed.

"Okay. Call Roy up then."

Greed laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Ah, I don't know his number."

Hughes rolled his eyes and walked back towards Mustang's office.

"It should be on his desk somewhere."

Greed sighed in relief, though he wasn't entirely sure why he wanted to save Heinrich's life.

The memory of a happy Ed verses a crying Ed entered his head, and he smiled as he reminded himself why.


	40. Chapter 40

Red Roses2: Crap. I just realized I had the original Greed cry earlier in the story, but said that homunculi couldn't cry in this chapter, so I had to fix it. That's really the only difference between this chapter and the one I posted before.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Fletcher dropped his state alchemist watch with a clatter, the pocket watch snapping open and the second hand tick-tick-ticking loudly. Russell tightened his grip on his own watch and narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"What do you mean Ed won't be at the ceremony dinner?" Russell growled.

Mustang tightened his jaw, seeing the same fire that Ed used to have. . . . Did he just use past tense?

Fletcher's mouth twisted, his eyebrows knitted together, and he looked like he could cry. He remembered the bruise. He remembered how Ed had acted. He didn't want that to be true.

"Is he okay?" Fletcher asked, his voice trembling. Russell lost his angry countenance and looked at his little brother. His eyes softened.

"Fletcher. . . ."

Mustang sighed and rested his chin on the top of his hand.

"I don't know, to be honest. Winry Rockbell called saying he wasn't feeling well. To be honest, I'm a little glad he can't."

The Trigham brothers sucked in air through gritted teeth, Fletcher's chest tightening and Russell's heart catching fire.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean!?" Russell demanded.

Mustang stood up with the resolution of a soldier and stared the new state alchemist down.

"There's something you two need to help us with right away. Edward is too involved to talk to, and Major Armstrong and I can't figure this out on our own. It's gotten . . . too complicated. This is your first mission, and I'm sorry to say that it's not easy."

Fletcher looked up at his brother, his body incapable of tensing up anymore. Russell furrowed his eyebrows.

"What is it?" Russell asked.

Mustang bowed his head, picked up the phone and – without dialing – spoke: "You four can come in now."

The office door opened, and Fletcher gasped as he recognized the man with the tattoo.

_A careless hand caressing Ed's chin, Ed glaring desperately into the eyes of the owner of that hand, but Ed not lifting a finger to stop him. "Your little brother means that much to you, doesn't he? Is giving your body for someone's sexual pleasures really worth his life?" Fletcher squeaked fearfully, and Russell clamped his hand over Fletcher's mouth; if that man learned they were there, he'd kill them just like he killed those soldiers back there. . . . Ed lowered his head, averting his eyes from that man's. _

"_Al is worth more than that. Worth more than anything I can give." Ed looked up, right into that man's eyes – and Fletcher swore he was glaring a hole into that man's soul. "If giving you a fuck once this is over is all I have to do, I'll do it." _

_That man leaned in and purred hungrily, but didn't actually allow his face to make contact with Ed's. _

"_I'll hold you to that, Edward." _

Fletcher pulled at Russell's sleeve. Russell nodded, glaring at that man. Then the chimera came into view.

Russell pushed Fletcher back, moved to shield Fletcher. The chimera bowed its head and turned to the man and woman standing next to that man.

"They – do – not – like – me," the chimera said in its horribly warped voice.

The woman patted the chimera's head.

Mustang swallowed hard, still unable to handle the sight of his dead best friend. He wasn't sure what was worse: the fact that Hughes kept forgetting his name or that he didn't remember Gracia and Elysia at all.

_Mustang stared at Hughes as Greed rambled about something that had to do with the Gate and Father and some other thing that he completely tuned out. Hughes stood there. In front of him. Back from the dead. _

_How was this possible? _

"_M-Maes. . . ." Mustang breathed. _

_Hughes grinned at him. "Hey, Roy. Long time, no see. How have things been?" _

_Mustang's knees felt like they'd give out on him. _

"_Fine. Gracia and Elysia sometimes still cry over you." He wasn't sure why he said that. Maybe because it felt like the right thing to say. But surely Hughes knew that already? _

_Hughes raised an eyebrow. Fear crawled slowly up Mustang's spine as Hughes's face was enveloped in confusion. _

"_Who are Gracia and Elysia?" _

_The bottom of his stomach felt like it disappeared; Mustang fell down into a chair, staring unbelieving at Hughes. _

_Hughes loved Gracia and Elysia. He'd never forget them. He'd never. Hughes was supposed to beat him up and carve his heart out for falling in love with his wife. Hughes was supposed to remember how he loved Gracia and be pissed at him. Hughes was supposed to be angry at him. Hughes was supposed to REMEMBER! _

_Mustang broke down crying – something he hadn't done since Hughes's funeral. Greed rolled his eyes. Trisha swallowed hard. Nina whimpered empathetically. _

"Russell, Fletcher, these are Greed the Homunculus, Brigadier General Maes Hughes who has been dead for the past eight years," Mustang didn't bother to watch Russell's and Fletcher's faces as they morphed into shock. "Nina Tucker, a girl who was transmuted with her dog by her father and has been dead for the past eight years, and Trisha Elric, mother to Edward and Alphonse Elric and has been dead for the past thirteen years. They say the creator of the homunculi, an extremely powerful homunculus called Father, has managed to survive from his supposed destruction four years ago and now has the tools he needs to restore himself to his original strength. It's our job to figure out how Father plans to do this. . . because Greed and Hughes disagree on what his tactics are, Trisha doesn't remember anything – not even her own children – and Nina . . . ." The images of Ed despairing over Nina's death flashed through his head, and the contrast between then and recently scared him. "Ed would never forgive me if we tried to involve Nina too much."

Mustang turned to face Fletcher and Russell. Russell locked his gaze with his, and Fletcher gulped and looked up at the living Brigadier General.

"The one thing Hughes and Greed agree on is that whatever will happen, if it succeeds, will result in Ed's death. So we need to solve this as soon as possible, and keep Ed out of it just as much. Understood?" Mustang concluded.

Russell and Fletcher shared a look. Fletcher took a deep breath and, with it, expanded with courage and determination. Russell flexed his hand and retracted his fingers into a fist, the fire in his heart raging once more. The brothers nodded.

"Tell us what we have to do," Fletcher said.

Hughes smiled at them.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed hadn't woken up. Pride frowned as she peeked into the bedroom.

"Wrath," she said, her younger brother peering over her shoulder. He matched her frown. Hoenheim reached out to touch Ed's shoulder, but Wrath darted his hand, snatching his grandfather's wrist. Hoenheim glared at him, but Wrath's withering look beat him down.

"Out," Wrath hissed, throwing Hoenheim across the room. Hoenheim hit the opposite door, and before he could turn around, Pride shut the door with a resounding _bang_. Hoenheim looked up to see Wrath sitting against the door, looking as though he dared anyone to just try to get past him. Little Greed ran up the stairs, his arms heavy with blankets and a glass of water balancing on top. Envy glared up the stairs, his arms crossed.

Everything after that was a blur as Hoenheim relayed Ed's current condition to the others. All he could think about was that the homunculi were concerned. Worried. For some reason, secretive.

Little Greed ran past him, probably on some mission from Pride.

"Greed?" Hoenheim said.

Little Greed skidded to a stop and glanced at him.

"I want you to tell me what's wrong."

Little Greed frowned and his eyes darkened.

"I can't."

The oldest homunculi child then went into the kitchen, Envy whispering to him.

Heinrich wrung his hands constantly, nervously. Winry tried to call a doctor, but the phone apparently needed fixing: "Damn it! Even when it does sound like I got something, I can't hear a word anyone's saying, it's so static-y!" Hoenheim knew he should probably leave the house to get a doctor or someone who could help, but all he did was sit in the living room in his armchair, rocking back and forth like a disturbed child, praying that his little knight wasn't going to die. Scar promised Winry he'd get a doctor, and was currently out looking, but no one would help the "Alchemist Killer", a.k.a. Scar, a.k.a. the "Ishbalan mass-murderer."

Mei had called earlier, but Winry couldn't hear a word she said, and Mei only caught fragmented words. Al unknowingly was acting just like his father – rocking back and forth in a chair, wanting to leave but incapable, praying and wishing everything was okay. He had a bad feeling. He knew his brother wasn't all right. He knew it! But if he went, those monsters would kill him, and that would upset Ed. That was the last thing Ed needed right now. But he wanted to know how he was doing so badly! Ran Fan and Fu were suffocating from the heavy depression that was settling down onto the house.

Wendy currently was dragging Edward Heinrich towards Ed's house, David in her arms. Edward scowled, his hands buried deep in his pockets.

"Why are we going there again?" Edward asked derisively.

Wendy halted and turned around to face her husband. She stared at him sternly. Edward narrowed his eyes defiantly.

"Why are you so against Edward Elric? Your brother loves him, and if it weren't for him, we may never have been able to escape the Nazis." Wendy said.

David observed him parents silently.

Edward rolled his eyes. "We would've found a way."

"_Before_ they managed to kill us?"

Edward glowered.

"Edward, tell me the truth. I'm your wife, aren't I? You can tell me."

Edward grinded his teeth together, his frustration and – and hatred – pounding in his veins.

"Al – Alfons is taking this too far." Wendy raised an eyebrow.

"Taking what too far?"

"Does he really think he can continue living like that!?" The dam Edward had built to keep his words and emotions to himself broke, just like that, and every thought and feeling he had bottled up came flowing out. "Does he really think the little slut can make him happy!? That _person_ may look like me, and maybe because it's something familiar in this damn place that he's so connected to him in the first place, but he's _not_ me and _can't_ give Alfons what he needs, which is a _family_! And where the hell did that Pride girl and Greed boy come from!? Whose children _are they_!? Can Alfons _really_ not see that that whore is _using_ him!?"

Wendy set her free hand firmly on her hip.

"Listen to yourself! You sound just like your father!"

Edward blanched. His father had heavily disagreed with his dating Wendy; the man had said so many terrible things about her. Edward had cut off all communication with his father after their last argument-turned-fist-fight over her.

Wendy's expression softened as she watched Edward's conviction crumble. She stepped up to her husband and wrapped her free arm around him. She rested her chin on his shoulder and felt him shudder against her.

"I know you're worried about Alfons. But Ed is a good man. And I think Ed needs Alfons. Remember when we were living with them, and we could hear crying in the middle of the night?"

Edward nodded reluctantly.

"You do know that that was Ed, right? And do you remember how Hoenheim would act when he perceived something as a threat?"

Edward nodded again, this time more willingly.

"I think Ed needs someone to take care of him. And that someone is Alfons now. So try to like him, okay?"

Edward took a deep breath, a feeble attempt to pull himself together.

"Okay. I'll try."

Wendy pulled away from him and smiled brightly. "Good. Now, could you hold David for a while? My arm's getting sore."

Edward smiled back. "Sure." The husband took the baby into his arms, and he followed his wife up to the Elric household.

Both of them were taken aback once Winry opened the front door.

"Scar, did – oh. Hello Wendy, Edward. I – I thought you'd be Scar with the doctor." Winry stammered. Heinrich stepped into the hall, wringing his hands together still.

"Doctor?" Wendy asked. "Who's ill?"

Winry let them come in and closed the door behind Edward. She bowed her head, her bangs hiding her eyes. Heinrich bit his lower lip.

"Ed is. It's a little hard to explain, and I wasn't here when it happened, but Ed lost a lot of blood, and he's been asleep for a long time. Pride, Wrath, and Greed won't let anyone else see him." Winry explained.

Edward furrowed his eyebrows. "Wrath?"

Wendy caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She glanced in the direction of the kitchen, and gasped as she found a little boy – who looked an awful lot like Alfons. The boy stepped into the hallway, glaring at them.

"Who are they?" the boy asked.

Heinrich rubbed the back of her neck.

"Envy, this is Wendy and Edward Heinrich. They're my brother and sister-in-law." Heinrich explained weakly.

"Envy" wrinkled his nose. "Just keep them away from Mother." With that, he disappeared into the kitchen again. Heinrich sighed. Edward and Wendy gave him confused looks.

"What's going on?" Edward asked. "Who's his mother?"

Winry pulled them into the living room and sat them down on the couch, Heinrich following closely. The married couple sent furtive glances in Hoenheim's direction, who didn't seem to even notice them. He just held his knees to his chest and rocked back and forth, back and forth.

"Okay, where to start exactly. . . ." Winry began.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Edward and Wendy stared at Winry and Heinrich as they concluded the story, Winry's face a peculiar green color at the description of Wrath's and Envy's births. Little Greed's footsteps echoed down into the living room. Wendy could hear Envy's whispers float through the air. Heinrich still wrung his hands nervously and worried his lower lip.

"Let me get this straight," Edward said. "Ed Elric has been fighting these 'homunculi' creatures for years, and for the past three years, you all thought the craziness had stopped. But now these things have been essentially ripping themselves out of Ed, call him Mother, and are sins incarnate."

Heinrich nodded. Edward held David closer to his chest, the baby fast asleep.

"But whose sins are they?" Wendy asked hesitantly.

Heinrich opened his mouth.

CRASH!

All five of them jumped and whirled around to see what the _hell_ made that sound. Hoenheim stood up, his eyes finally focused on reality. Edward Heinrich glanced at the older man and sucked his breath in. Such helpless fear should never be present in the eyes of a man in his own home.

Ed Elric picked himself off the floor, breathing ragged. Wrath and Pride grabbed his shoulders, but he pushed them off. He trudged slowly across the hall, blood trickling down his chin. Wrath narrowed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows, scrunched his face up tightly, anger flashing like fire in those dark eyes. Pride swallowed hard, features set like stone and eyes shining with something akin to resignation and – well, pride. Envy stepped into the hallway, and Greed jumped from the top of the stairs, landing with a thump next to Pride. The four siblings stood side by side, Envy running a hand through his hair and a frown twisting his otherwise attractive features (not that he thought they were), Wrath crossing his arms and angry pain flowing through his bloodless veins, Pride hugging her elbows, and Greed bowing his head.

"Mother?" Envy said.

Ed reached out for the doorknob and looked over his shoulder. He smiled at them.

"You four know what to do, don't you?" Ed asked.

Wrath gritted his teeth. "I don't _want_ to."

"Not if it'll mean you, too," Envy added, letting his hand fall from the base of his head.

Greed shrugged. "Whatever you want, Mother."

Pride closed her eyes and nodded. "You're not coming home."

Ed cracked the front door open. "Take care of them."

Edward Heinrich didn't have any idea what they were talking about, but he felt his brother brush past him. Alfons grabbed Ed's elbow, the German trembling with fear.

"Ed?" Alfons whispered. "Where . . .?"

Ed rested his automail hand on Alfons's and smiled up at him. He leaned up and pressed a small kiss on the German's mouth.

"Everything's going to be okay," Ed replied. "I won't take long."

Hoenheim slowly reached out his hand, but he didn't – couldn't? – stop Ed from removing Alfons's hand and leaving. Alfons stood there in the hall, feeling lost and confused. Edward, Wendy, and Winry exchanged looks. Hoenheim stretched his hand out farther.

Wendy and Edward screamed as Hoenheim darted in front of the homunculi, grabbed Wrath by the neck, and slammed him into the wall. Wrath and Hoenheim locked glares – and the resemblance was incredible. Air escaped Hoenheim's mouth like fire as he growled out the only thing that mattered to him.

"_What have you done to my baby_?"

David began to cry, his little voice the only semblance of normalcy. Edward bounced the one-year-old up and down, trying to calm him down. Wendy snatched David out of his arms, her face twisted with fear and worry. Without his child in his arms, Edward felt cold, like there was nothing that could keep the horrible things from him. Were parents supposed to feel like their children could keep from harm?

Edward's eyes widened as he looked back up at Hoenheim, right as Wrath dug his heel into the man's chest, pushing him into the handrail. Pride and Greed moved out of the way. The sharp edge of the rail dent Hoenheim's back.

Then the real fight began.

Envy, Pride, and Greed dragged the rest of them out of the hall, Hoenheim and Wrath matching punches and kicks, but Hoenheim clapped his hands, Wrath ducked, the grandfather's hands touched the wall, and it exploded. The house shook with the energy and power, and Wrath swept Hoenheim's legs out from under him. Hoenheim hit the ground with a resounding thud, but it didn't stop him at all. Hoenheim seized Wrath's ankles, twisted his body around, and flung the homunculus across the hall. Wrath collided with the front door, the hinges breaking and the door falling through its doorway. As the dust settled and Wrath flipped himself onto his feet, Scar stared at the boy as he ran back inside the house, screaming with murder. The Ishbalan scurried into the house, and quickly retreated to stand next to Winry.

"What's going on?" he asked, but Wrath's fist connecting with the staircase and shattering it distracted even himself from his own question.

Wrath gripped Hoenheim's hair and slammed his head into the floor, the hardwood cracking. The homunculus repeated this again, and again, and again.

Alfons swallowed hard. "P-Pride, shouldn't we do something to stop him?"

Pride looked up at Alfons.

"Wrath is the strongest of all four of us. Homunculi are naturally significantly stronger than humans. There's nothing we can do."

Hoenheim grabbed Wrath's head and smashed it down next to his own.

Alfons asked, "Then why is Hoenheim fighting so well?"

Envy snickered. "You don't know? Hoenheim hasn't been human for over a century. He's really a Philosopher's Stone."

Alfons gave Envy the most confused look he could muster. Envy burst out laughing.

Hoenheim lifted his head out of the crater in the floor and glared down at Wrath. Wrath twisted his head around to glare back at him.

"What is Ed going to do?"

Wrath sighed heavily, shoved Hoenheim's hand off him, and sat up. He crossed his arms and locked glares with Hoenheim once again.

"Mother will confront the homunculus known as Father. He's still alive, and plans to use my siblings and I, and three others who I know not the identities to, to restore himself to his former strength so he can destroy you. That's all he's concerned with now. Mother will either succeed or be absorbed by Father, thus making him Requirement number 5. If that happens, Pride, Envy, Greed, and I will be able to kill him . . . and Mother along with him."

Hoenheim gritted his teeth and stood up. His body radiated power and new-found determination.

"That's not going to happen." Hoenheim stated firmly.

Wrath raised an eyebrow. Pride and Greed stared at him, curiously. Envy gave him a skeptical look.

"And how do you plan to stop him?" Envy demanded.

Hoenheim didn't answer. He walked out the front doorway and continued on down the street.

He was done letting his children fight his battles for him. He was done with being a useless burden on his baby's shoulders.

It was time he was a knight for his little knight.

"Wait for me, Edward. Please."

The wind carried his whisper through the air.

Ed stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, wondering why he felt like he could wait all of a sudden.

Ed wondered why he suddenly felt like he didn't have to do it alone, like he wouldn't die by the end of this. Like he had armor that Father wouldn't be able to crack.

Ed looked over his shoulder and drew in a sharp intake of breath as his father came into view.

The father and son watched each other for a moment, and slowly Hoenheim came to stand next to Ed. The elder rested a hand on the younger's automail shoulder.

"Edward, do you remember my old nickname for you?"

Ed raised an eyebrow. "No. Why?"

Hoenheim smiled softly. "No reason, really. It's just that you've fulfilled its shoes more times than I can count."

Ed matched his smile. "Whatever, old geezer."

And they walked towards their first all-out battle in a _long_ time.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Trisha looked up from the alchemical arrays the state alchemists were designing. She peered out the window and frowned, clutching her chest. Hughes raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's the matter?" Hughes asked.

Mustang, Major Armstrong, the Trighams, Greed, and Nina glanced at her. Trisha hardened her eyes and clenched her fists.

"We need to go," Trisha said.

The others shared confused looks.

"Why do you say that?" Major Armstrong inquired, his voice booming.

Trisha crossed the room to the door.

"Ed already knows what's going on. He's already going to try to fix it."

"WHAT!?" Mustang shouted. Fletcher whimpered. Russell tightened his fists. Hughes, Nina, and Greed wasted no time in catching up with Trisha, and they were already half way down the hall before the four alchemists managed to gather their arrays and chase after them.

Greed narrowed his eyes as he recognized the feeling thrumming through the air.

Father was getting excited. Father thought he was about to get what he wanted.

Not if Greed had anything to say about it.

Greed outran Trisha and barreled down the street, jumping over a car that drove into his path. The car swerved and screeched to a halt, but Greed kept running faster and faster, only one thing chasing his thoughts over and over. Ed and his cute little mouth curled up in a smile, his golden eyes curved upward, his beautiful blond braid flapping in the wind, his body turning and twirling, the light rain falling all around him, happy that he was able to give Al his body back.

He wanted Ed so badly. He'd never get his chance to have him if Father took him away from him. Screw everything else he ever wanted, if he could never have Ed, he knew he'd go insane. He didn't care if he had to live through the emotional torture until Heinrich's death. He was going to have Ed.

That was all there was to it.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Knock, knock, knock!

Al jumped a foot in the air, startled out of his worry. Fu opened the front door. His eyes widened at the fairly young woman standing on the other side.

"Izumi?" Fu said. "What are you - ?"

Izumi pushed past Fu and walked into the living room. Al stood up and looked desperately at Izumi.

"Al, do you know as much of human composition as your brother?"

Al stared blankly at her.

"W-what does that - ?"

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

Al straightened up, resembling a solider who was yelled at by his superior. Ming's cries echoed from the kitchen, along with Mei's shushing.

"Yes ma'am, down to the last speck of protein."

"What about homunculi? Do you know what they're made up of?"

Al furrowed his eyebrows.

"They're man-made humans. Their composition is exactly the same."

Izumi grunted and turned around. "Come on then. We'll need your help."

Al's left eyebrow rose to half-way to his hairline.

"We?"

~!#$%^&*()_+

Heinrich paced back and forth, back and forth, and presented his argument one more time.

"Shouldn't we go help them?"

Wrath sighed heavily, and Envy rolled his eyes.

"No. You're a human with no alchemy prowess whatsoever. You'll be a burden," Pride repeated for the umpteeth time.

"What about Scar?"

Little Greed answered this one. "He's fought this enemy with Mother before. He knows he won't be of much help with only being capable of destructive alchemy to one's person at close range. He's more useful staying here and looking after you."

"I'd rather stay here, too," Edward Heinrich admitted, fidgeting erratically.

Scar bowed his head, remembering the last time he had fought alongside Ed.

_Sloth's big, bulky, blocky body loomed over them. Scar swallowed. That thing was HUGE. . . . Scar barely managed to jump out of the way as Sloth sped towards him, like a pinball in a machine. Huge and practically the speed of light. Ishbala save him. _

"They're right. I won't be of much help this time." Scar added.

Heinrich gripped his head in frustration.

"There must be something we can do!"

"And what do you suggest?" Winry snapped. "Run out there with a few tool boxes and hit Father with them?"

Wendy glared at her. "Don't talk to him like that!"

Heinrich, however, stared at Winry, his frown curving upward and his eyes lighting up like fireflies.

"Winry, that's it!"

Scar and Winry gave him skeptical looks.

"You seriously think that's a good idea?" the mechanic said, raised her eyebrow.

Heinrich chuckled a little. "No, not hitting anything with them. Ed's automail's bound to break eventually, right? He'll need you and me to fix it, right?"

Winry's frown deepened.

"But you only know the basics, since you spent all your time on that useless contraption in the yard." Winry argued. Wendy opened her mouth to object, but Edward gripped her hand. "If his arm gets really busted, you won't be of much help."

"But I'll be of some, and you're the best automail mechanic around! Ed said so! You'll be able to do anything if Scar provided a good enough distraction. . . ."

Scar and Winry shared deliberative glances. Heinrich watched them hopefully.

"Alfons, you can't go out in that!" Wendy insisted. Edward didn't say or do anything to contradict or stop her. "What if you get hurt?"

Winry stood up. "All right, I'm all for it. If we can get my tools from upstairs."

Heinrich's smile fell off as he looked at the non-existent staircase. He glared at Wrath, who glared back lazily. Envy snickered.

"Give me a boost, okay?" Heinrich said. Winry nodded.

"Alfons!" Edward objected.

"I'll be fine, Edward," Heinrich said dismissively as Winry cupped her hands under his heel and pushed him up. He grabbed the second floor and pulled himself up. His floor creaked with his weight.

No one said a word as they waited for Heinrich to come back. The house creaked and whined and echoed. Edward and Wendy didn't dare to move or breathe.

Slowly, and not soon enough, Heinrich returned to their view.

"Winry, I'm going to throw it to you, okay?"

Winry nodded and held her arms out for the toolbox.

Heinrich swung his arm back and, in mid throw, the floor gave out.

"ALFONS!" Edward screamed. He ran forward, but Scar grabbed his arm and pulled him in the opposite direction.

The house roared as it collapsed on itself. Dust and debris fell all around them, the ceiling caving in the hallway. Edward screamed and fought against Scar, but the Ishbalan succeeded in dragging the German out through the doorway. Winry and Wendy stood next to each other, already outside. Little Greed crashed through the living room window, glass flying everywhere, Envy and Pride right behind him. Wrath jumped through the window moments later. Envy laughed hysterically. Little Greed frowned, looking more disappointed than anything else. Wrath looked as angry as he ever did. Pride bowed and shook her head, and sat down on the sidewalk and the house crumbled to the ground. David cried into his mother's breast.

"ALFONS!" Edward screeched one last time as the dust settled.

Envy tried to reign in his laughter, but he failed miserably. Wrath gritted his teeth and glared at him.

"Pride?" Little Greed said. Envy stopped his laughing abruptly, his features folding into somber. Wrath's shoulders slumped, and the three brothers watched as their sister hugged her knees.

"What a stupid way to die," Pride muttered, burying her face into her knees. She did not shake. She did not tremble. She did not cry.

Edward and Wendy froze at Pride's words, staring at the rubble.

"No," Edward whispered. "He can't be dead." _Eight-year-old Alfons asking Edward to help him with homework._ "He can't be." _Seventeen-year-old Alfons gushing over getting accepted into the same university as Edward. _"No." _Twenty-three-year-old Alfons joking with him. Twenty-five-year-old Alfons introducing him to Wendy. Alfons bringing him to this crazy world, with the look-alike boyfriend. _Tears poured down his cheeks. "Alfons!" Edward fell to his knees and cried.

Tears gathered in Wendy's eyes, and she glared at Winry.

"How could you help him do that!?" Wendy shouted.

"Mama!"

Wendy faltered and looked down at David.

"Ma_ma_!"

She bounced her baby up and down, her tears rolling down her face.

Winry bowed her head. "Scar. Could you find him under that?"

Scar nodded.

Wrath wrapped his arms around Pride and held her tightly. Pride rested her head on Wrath's shoulder. Envy turned his head away and stared down the street, in the direction they knew Father was in. Little Greed tugged at Envy's shirt.

"What?"

"Is things like this the reason humans don't want to get what they want?"

Envy shrugged.

"How am I supposed to know?"


	41. Chapter 41

Red Roses2: The next chapter will be the epilogue. I can't believe this is already going to be finished so soon. . . . Wow.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Ed and Hoenheim clapped their hands together and pressed them on the road. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Concrete walls erected themselves from beneath the asphalt, creating giant roadblocks.

Ed clapped his hands together once more. Shink! His trademark blade molded from his automail arm. He shot a smirk at Hoenheim.

"Remember the last time we did this?"

Hoenheim nodded, matching Ed's smirk. "You weren't exactly thrilled to be fighting by my side."

"Hell no! You were a flighty bastard who I thought would never change!"

Hoenheim's glasses slid down the bridge of his nose as the implication of Ed's sentence sunk in. He raised an eyebrow at Ed.

"You mean I'm not a flighty bastard anymore?"

Ed's smirk widened. "Well, you're still a bastard for leaving Mom, me, and Al all those years back. But . . . I wouldn't say you're flighty anymore." Hoenheim's other eyebrow climbed his forehead, and his glasses slid down even more, his eyes reaching the size of dinner plates. ". . . Or a useless burden like I keep saying."

Hoenheim stared at his son for a long time. He opened his mouth to say something, but Ed continued.

"Actually," Ed looked up at him with a look Hoenheim hadn't been given since Ed was three years old. A look of adoration. "I don't think I could do any of this without you."

Hoenheim felt his eyes weld with tears, and he pushed his glasses farther up his nose. His heart burned with pride and happiness, and he felt like hugging Ed right then. However, he settled with a smile and ruffled Ed's hair. Ed grinned.

"Ho~en~heim!"

Ed's and Hoenheim's eyes darkened considerably, and they glared at the black form that had crawled into the middle of the street.

"Such ~ a pleasure ~ to see ~ you after ~ all these ~ years!"

With difficulty, the form morphed itself into a somewhat recognizable appearance. Well-built arms and a sculpted chest oozed its way to the surface, and a face exactly like Hoenheim's squeezed through the black goo. A twisted grin snaked across its face.

"Have ~ you ~ come to ~ sacrifice ~ your son ~ to me ~ Hoenheim?" Black bubbles popped and gurgled from his darkened mouth.

Hoenheim narrowed his eyes.

"I didn't sacrifice my children last time, and I most certainly won't this time."

"But Envy ~ almost ~ convinced you ~ didn't he?"

Hoenheim faltered, the memory flashing before him as though burned into his retinas. The homunculus promising impossible things with such convincing rhetoric, Al's voice echoing through the room to stop him, Ed loosing confidence and patience with him and taking the whole thing into his own hands. Hoenheim bowed his head, ashamed.

"He's not like that!" Ed shouted. He held his fist out threateningly. "So he's not perfect! That doesn't matter! He's still my dad, and he'd never kill me or Al!"

Hoenheim flinched, but luckily Ed didn't see it. Hoenheim cleared his throat.

"Look, _Father_, you clearly have been planning this for years."

Father smirked in confirmation.

"Mind enlightening us ignorant humans how you survived, what exactly you did, and why?" Hoenheim asked.

"He doesn't need to," Ed said. Hoenheim looked at him curiously. Father's smirk widened. "He survived for the sole reason that he sacrificed the creations he had left to save himself. I had used the homunculi to retrieve Al's body from the other side of the gate. I had intended to use Father as well, but instead he gave away his own children instead. The transmutation still sucked away much of his power, which is why he's been reduced to the pile of goo before us. He then divided up the energy he had left to implant alchemic energy into me, the most vulnerable to it at the time. He must have somehow gotten into the hospital I was at – maybe when Greed had snuck in – and planted the seeds for Little Greed, Pride, Wrath, and Envy."

"But how do you know this?"

Ed smiled, hints of embarrassment dotted across his face.

"All four of them have Philosopher Stones buried in their chests where hearts should be."

Hoenheim gave him a blank look. Ed scratched his cheek.

"Pride kind of showed me."

_Pride pulled her shirt over her head and tossed the garment aside. Wrath caught it. She then dug her fingers into her chest – right over the spot where her heart would be – and ripped the skin apart. Ed gave a strangled cry and reached out to stop her, but Wrath grabbed his wrists. _

"_She'll be fine," Wrath insisted. "Just watch." _

_She pulled and stretched until finally, amid a yarn ball of muscle tissue and a cage of bones, a Philosopher's Stone glinted. Ed's jaw dropped. _

"_All four of us have one each. Each Stone has about a hundred souls, a significantly smaller amount than a regular Philosopher's Stone. When all the souls are released, we will be mortal, having one life each. We will grow old, be vulnerable to disease, and die, like a regular old human. And it's these Stones that are the reason we exist, and the reason why he wants us and three others." _

_Ed's expression drew in on itself, until it became resolute, and Ed pulled himself out of bed with all the strength he had. _

_Pride let go of her chest, and it healed immediately. Wrath handed her shirt back to her. She slipped it on. _

"_Mother?" Wrath asked as Ed almost collapsed. He forced himself to stand on his weak knees. _

"_I won't let him take you. I won't let him take __**any**__ of you. I don't care if it's because of him that I even have you. You're __**my**__ children, and you won't be taken away from me. Not while I'm still __**breathing!**__"_

"As for the 'alchemic build-up' Pride kept talking about, that was a result of Al's soul transfer itself. The homunculi just instinctually used it as a tool to create their own bodies, but they were only able to harness it if my body was suffering from severe stress, like electrocution and having my guts spread all over the entryway.

"Now, his reasons _why_ are much more simple. He was planning on reabsorbing Little Greed, Pride, Wrath and Envy to replenish his strength. He'd then hunt down three others who have a significant amount of alchemic energy. In other words, probably me, Al, and Izumi-sensei. After that, he'd be back to full power and be able to exact his revenge on you for essentially ruining everything he ever worked towards."

Father chuckled, his voice deep and powerful.

"You always were intelligent, Edward Elric. There's just one little miscalculation."

Ed raised an eyebrow. Father's grin widened. Hoenheim narrowed his eyes.

"I don't need to absorb my victims in order."

Ed stepped back – to learn that he couldn't. He looked down and yelped; the black goo that made up Father's body cemented his automail foot to the ground. Ed tried to move his left leg frantically, but the goo climbed up his leg the more he struggled. He swung down his blade, but the goo met it half way and engulfed his blade and fist.

Hoenheim clapped his hands and tapped the ground.

Boom!

The ground underneath the trail of goo exploded, effectively releasing its hold on Ed's leg and arm. Ed retreated to behind Hoenheim, peering around the man and glaring at Father.

Father chuckled throatily.

Hoenheim inconspicuously snuck his hand into his back pocket and took out a piece of chalk. Ed glanced at it, then looked up at Hoenheim's face. Hoenheim sidled a look at Ed.

"Remember page 387 in the alchemy journal I left with you, Al, and Trisha?" Hoenheim whispered.

Ed raised an eyebrow.

"I remember."

Hoenheim smiled grimly.

"I want you to draw it. Make sure you have room to stand and activate it when the time is right."

Ed took the piece of chalk and nodded. He bit his lower lip.

The book had never mentioned what the hell that transmutation circle was even _for_. All it had were the words "Just In Case" scribbled in ultra-tiny letters in the bottom right corner. Page 387 was just one big transmutation circle.

What was Hoenheim planning?

Hoenheim ran at Father and clapped his hands together. Ed dropped down to the ground, touched the ground with the piece of chalk, and ran around the enclosure, dragging the chalk across the ground.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Mustang stared at the huge roadblock in the middle of the road. Greed and Russell returned from running around it.

"There's no way in!" Russell shouted. "It's an impregnable circle!"

Fletcher bit his lip. Hughes, Trisha, and Major Armstrong narrowed their eyes. Greed punched a wall in frustration, denting brick. Nina whined keenly.

"Must ~ help ~ Ed~ward!" Nina said, looking up at Hughes.

"I know, Nina, I know!" Hughes hissed. "But how do we get in?"

Major Armstrong brandished his gauntlets. "Allow me, the Strong-Arm Alchemist!"

"**NO**," Trisha objected, her voice rough and . . . not human. Hughes's eyes widened considerably, Nina shrunk away from her, Fletcher whimpered. Mustang froze, not daring to look at her. Major Armstrong stared at her, surprised – not by her sudden change of voice – but her response.

"Why not?"

Trisha looked back at the roadblock. "Hoenheim has everything under control," she replied, her voice back to being sweet and soothing.

A shiver ran up Russell's spine. Seriously, it was bad enough that they were two dead people and a dead chimera. She didn't need to freak him out so much.

"Dad's in there?" asked a small voice.

The state alchemists and the undead turned around. Al, Izumi, and Ling stood there, Al not even seeing the people in front of him. All of his attention was given to the cold, silent monstrosity standing in the middle of the road.

"With Ed?" Al continued.

"Yes," Mustang answered. "They're fighting something that has caused the reappearance of homunculi, the arrival of the Heinrich family and the rise of the dead."

Al finally focused on what was right in front of him and gasped. "Hughes? Nina?"

Hughes nodded and Nina trekked over to Al, tugging on his pant leg as a greeting. Al's eyes widened until they couldn't widen any more . . . and then his eyes landed on Trisha.

"M-Mom?"

Trisha blinked and looked to Hughes. Hughes gave her a nod.

"That's Al, your youngest."

Trisha looked back at Al and scrunched her face up in thought. She didn't remember him but . . . she did remember something _about_ him. . . .

That's right. That conversation. About whether or not it was all right for him to love his brother.

She relaxed as the memory came flooding back.

"Did you ever learn the answer to your question?" she asked, smiling at him.

Al stiffened. "W-what question?"

"About whether it was okay to love Ed. That's all I can remember about you. Your question."

Al paled, for many reasons. Mustang tensed and Izumi sighed. Al looked down at Nina and patted her on the head.

". . . Yeah. I learned what the answer was." His eyes moistened, but he refused to cry over it again.

"What was the answer?"

Al lifted his head and looked his mother in the eye. "No."

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ed changed his direction and dragged the chalk across for a straight line, then drew a perpendicular line, then another perpendicular line, and another and another until he reached the base of the circle again. He then drew a diagonal line to the far end of the circle. He moved at a thirty-degree angle and stopped approximately three or four meters from the edge of the circle. He then drew a smaller circle and drew a line between it and another circle he'd draw approximately two meters away.

He had no idea what kind of circle he was drawing. All he knew was that it was the circle that had been in the book. He only remembered it because it had looked so strange. He wasn't even sure if it would actually _do anything_. But Ed was going to trust Hoenheim. Just this once.

As Ed darted here and there, drawing the circle, Father and Hoenheim played the cat-and-mouse game, though it was very unclear as to who was being the cat and who was being the mouse.

Hoenheim clapped his hands and either touched the ground or tried to touch Father. Father evaded whatever alchemic attack Hoenheim had planned. Father then reached out with liquid-blubbery hands, trying to suffocate Hoenheim. Hoenheim leaned out of the way each time. They went like this back and forth, back and forth. Attack, dodge, attack, dodge.

"What's the matter?" Hoenheim taunted as he glanced in Ed's direction. "Don't have enough energy to fight?"

Father chuckled darkly. "Your child will supply me with more than enough power to destroy you, Van Hoenheim. His alchemy and life energy will create the perfect beginning for my new life."

Hoenheim threw his hands at Father's face, and Father leaned out of the way. Ed scurried away from them, careful to keep the chalk still touching the ground. Father blinked as he noticed Ed running to the edge of the enclosing.

"Now, what are you up to, Edward Elric?" Father said, almost gloatingly.

Hoenheim finally managed to touch Father – right on his chest.

BOOM!

Specks of Father-goo flew everywhere. Ed dodged it the best he could.

"Careful!" Ed admonished. Hoenheim frowned guiltily.

"Sorry. Is the circle done?"

Ed finally lifted the piece of dwindling chalk from the ground and stepped outside of the circle.

"Yeah. Now what?"

"Activate it! While he's still disoriented."

"But what's it going to do?"

Hoenheim smiled warmly at Ed.

"What does the array remind you of?"

Ed furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to think of what it could possibly look like. His eyebrows flew into his hair line as it occurred to him.

"The helmet to a suit of armor?"

Hoenheim nodded. Ed pouted.

"But that doesn't tell me anything!"

Hoenheim sighed benignly.

"We don't have time for arguments or explanations, Ed. Activate it. Please?"

Ed rolled his eyes, clapped his hands together – just because it was a habit – bent down, and touched the alchemic array.

A bright, golden light engulfed the lines of the circle. Ed gasped as the beams of light sparkled and shimmered. Father scanned the area, confusion written on his newly reformed face. Hoenheim kept his eyes on Ed, watching his eldest marvel at the unique display. A soft smile graced his features.

And then the screaming started.

~!#$%^&*()_+

"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Everyone jumped at the horrifying screech that tore through the air.

"What was - ?" Ling started, but Ed's shriek cut through.

"_DADDY!_"

Mustang shot a look at Armstrong.

"Major!"

"On it!"

Major Armstrong ran at the roadblock and slammed his fist into it. The roadblock shattered, and golden light blinded him. He shielded his face from the light, and the gold and the screams died together, abruptly. Major Armstrong lowered his arms, and his eyes widened at the sight before him.

A giant, dark hole hovered just above the bodies of Father and Hoenheim, both crumpled heaps upon the ground. Black hands reached out of the hole and snared Father's deteriorating form. Some of the hands stretched out towards Hughes, Nina, and Trisha, snatching their wrists, waists, and hair, sucking them into the hole.

"Mom! Nina!" Al shouted.

"Hughes!" Mustang yelled.

Hughes winked at Mustang. "This was supposed to happen, Roy. We are dead, after all."

The hole closed just as Hughes's face disappeared, and the street was calm.

Greed wasn't sure Ed had even noticed the gaping hole in the fabric of time and space. Ed cradled his father in his arms, his breath hitching as he realized what the circle must've done.

Hoenheim coughed violently, his skin gray and wrinkly, his hair and beard snow white, his arms nothing but elephant skin and bone. His cheeks were sunken, and through the cough he chuckled, a gleam of aching mirth in his eyes.

"Daddy," Ed said, tears gathering up in his eyes.

Hoenheim smiled at his eldest.

"I . . . always wondered . . . what it would be like . . . to grow old, like everyone else." Hoenheim snickered. "I thought Pinako was just joking about how much her bones ached!" His giggles turned into an all-out laugh, and Ed couldn't help but have his frown twist into a smile. Glittering tears rolled down Ed's cheeks as he helped the laughing fool to his feet.

A smirk wormed its way onto Izumi's face. "I see. You exchanged your immortality to destroy Father, which in turn opened the gate so it could return to equilibrium."

Hoenheim nodded. "I've been saving that alchemic array for the right moment." Hoenheim blinked. "When did you and Ling get here?"

Ling grinned at him.

"I had a feeling something wasn't right, and I just happened to meet up with Ms. Curtis at a train station. Turned out she knew you guys and we arrived here together."

Ed sighed in relief.

"Wow. So it's finally all over?"

Mustang gave a shaky smile of his own.

"I sure damn hope so. You cause me enough paper work as it is!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Love you too, Brigadier General Bastard!" Ed joked, then turned to Hoenheim. "Come on, let's get home. Alfons is probably worried sick about us!"

~!#$%^&*()_+

No wind. No rain. No clouds. Just sun and its warm rays.

Ed wished it would rain, if only to cool his burning tears.

Edward Heinrich came up behind him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. Ed turned his head and saw Edward's face matched his. The two stood side-by-side, staring at Alfons's grave.

"I'm sorry," Ed whispered, the flow of his tears increasing.

Edward didn't reply. He just wrapped his arm around Ed's shoulders and squeezed.

"I'm sorry, too." Edward said.

They stayed there like that for a long time

"I'm sorry about how Wendy acted, too."

Ed shook his head.

"She's upset. It's natural."

Edward let go of Ed's shoulders.

"That's not an excuse to accuse your friend of killing him. It was an accident."

"It – it's not my place to ask but – what really happened?"

Edward rubbed the back of his neck.

"Wrath and Hoenheim had a fight that weakened the house's supports before he left to help you. Alfons wanted to help, too. He got the idea that he and Winry could help with your automail if it broke, so he got the toolkits, but they were upstairs. . . ."

". . . . And the house collapsed."

Edward nodded. Ed bowed his head, biting his sobs back. His shoulders shook.

"I'm sorry." Ed repeated.

Edward sighed and just enveloped Ed in a hug.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Hoenheim sat up, arms crossed, and glowered at the poor innocent bedroom wall. Little Greed stood by his bedside and held out his hands, one open, palm-up, with some pills, and the other closed around a glass of water. Pride stood next to Little Greed, her eyes narrowed at Hoenheim.

"Take it." she ordered.

Hoenheim silently glared straight in front of him.

"_Take the damn pills_." Pride reiterated.

"I don't need them." Hoenheim insisted.

Pride rolled her eyes.

"They will give you calcium you need so you don't get osteoporosis. And seeing that you're now lactose intolerant. . . ."

"I know," Hoenheim growled.

"Mother takes them," Little Greed said, as though that fixed everything.

Hoenheim sidled his glare onto Little Greed. Pride glared back for Little Greed.

Envy walked into the room and blinked at the scene before him. He gave them a look that clearly stated "You've got to be kidding me." Envy sighed, strode over to the bed, hopped on it, and crossed his legs and arms. Hoenheim adjusted his glare so it landed on Envy instead.

"Look, Mr. King-of-Stubborn. Mother is five minutes away from coming back from Alfons Heinrich's funeral. Either swallow the damn pills yourself, let us jam it down your throat, or give Mother a harder time that he already has."

Envy, Pride, and Little Greed watched as Hoenheim deliberated his options.

The old man sighed and held his hand out for the pills. Little Greed smiled and gave them to him. Hoenheim popped them into his mouth, took the glass from Little Greed, and gulped the water.

Satisfied, all three of the homunculi retreated to . . . whatever they were planning on doing.

The front door closed with a soft _bang_, and the thump-clomp of Ed's mismatched feet echoed through the house. Wrath's muffled voice reverberated through the walls. The only thing Hoenheim managed to hear through his wax-stuffed ears was "Grandfather's upstairs."

Thump, clomp, thump, clomp, up the stairs. Hoenheim wished he could still hear it as well as he could a week ago.

The bedroom door creaked open, and Ed poked his head into the room. His eyes shone with hopeless tears, and that _look_ made Hoenheim feel like he was taking a peek into a bottomless abyss of misery.

Ed trekked across the bedroom – the new bedroom, in the new house, closer to Central Headquarters, so Mustang and Havoc and the others could "keep a better eye on Ed" – climbed into the bed and curled up, nuzzling Hoenheim's side. Hoenheim laid a frail arm around Ed's shoulders, wondering if saving the world was really worth the price of forfeiting the strength to hug Ed's pain away. Not that it was ever successful.

They lay there, father and son, both in pain. The father with the physical pain of a too-ancient too-soon body, and the son with an emotional pain that rendered his mind numb.

It started with a choked-back sob. Then it broke past Ed's restraints like a waterfall against a dam. Sobs transcended into wails that racked his body violently.

Hoenheim hugged Ed as tightly as his weakened body would allow and rocked him back and forth. He held him like a child, letting Ed scream into his chest.


	42. Chapter 42

Red Roses2: This is the epilogue! Woo-hoo! We've reached the end!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Nine Years Later

Scar frowned at Winry as she adjusted their baby in his high chair. The wind blew hard against the windows, and the sweet smells of the country were tainted with the stench of a bad storm brewing. Winry's jaw clenched like it belonged to a horse needing to bite on its bit.

Little Ishmael tried to cheer his mother up, but Scar knew not even the baby's giggle and smile could make her smile today.

"Winry," Scar said.

Winry turned to look at him, her eyes almost daring him to continue his sentence. He took a deep breath.

"This day isn't just a reminder of terrible things. It's also a day for happy times. You can't blame yourself for his death."

Winry shook her head and lifted Ishmael out of his highchair.

"Scar, it's not just Alfons Heinrich. This is also the day Ming Elric was born. And the day Ed and Al burned down their house. October 3rd."

Scar furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why is Ming Elric's birth bad?"

Winry sniffed. "It's not. In the grand scheme of things. . . . But Hoenheim told me some disturbing things about something that Al did to Ed and - !"

Scar sighed silently. She always started to talk about whatever those things were, but then she'd break off and not mention it again.

All he knew was that it was somehow connected to that now ten-year-old girl.

Scar took Ishmael out of Winry's arms and pressed a kiss on her forehead. He passed her into the other room. Winry sighed and turned back to her workbench.

Wendy screaming at her. Edward on his knees crying for the loss of his brother. The empty look on Ed's face when he found out. Alfons's empty eyes boring into her soul.

They plagued her nightmares after all these years. And she couldn't shake the feeling that if she had just said no, that well-meaning, kind man would still be alive.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Mustang rubbed the back of his neck, his face glowing like a hot coal. Gracia smiled fondly at him, a hint of a giggle hiding in her throat.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about, Roy?" Gracia inquired, almost playfully.

Mustang grinned goofily, reminding himself of the twelve-year-old boy he had enlisted into the military.

"Gracia, I know I can never measure up to Maes, and I never intend to. He was a great man, and an even greater friend, and no one will ever be able to match or surpass him in any category, be it a military official or a spouse. However," Mustang knelt down on one knee and took out a small, velvet box. He flicked it open like Havoc would one of his cigarette lighters, and an amber gem – matching Gracia's eyes – glinted like fire up at her. "It would be a great honor if you would accept my hand in marriage."

Gracia gasped and completely ignored the gem in favor of staring into Mustang's smoldering eyes.

"Roy . . . ." Her smile widened and her eyes softened, gleamed with tears. "Of course I'll marry you!"

She hugged him, and he hugged her back, a bittersweet smile lingering on his lips.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Breda pouted at Havoc and Sheska.

"I don't get it. How come you two are still together?" Breda complained.

Havoc laughed.

"We're engaged to be married, you know," Sheska said, a little miffed at Breda's question. Breda sighed.

"I know, I know. I'm just bummed out that I can't keep a girl." Breda's eyebrows shot up all of a sudden. "Damn, I just remembered. Did we ever conclude Mission Investigay?"

Havoc took a cigarette and flicked it into the ashtray.

"Falman confirmed that Ed is indeed now dating the original Greed. He's not violent, he balances out Ed's extreme tendencies for the sole reason he can't be perceived by anyone as 'perfect', what with him being a Sin. He does get drunk and flirts with ladies – even smokes a little – but Hawkeye and Fuery think that he really is in love with Ed. Mustang says we should still keep an eye on Ed, but otherwise Mission Investigay should be closed until further notice."

Breda grunted thoughtfully.

~!#$%^&*()_+

"No! Wait! STOP!" Fuery objected – until falling into the tub and having puppies trample all over him. Water sloshed everywhere, and Fuery popped his head out of the water, spitting like a camel. Soap stung his eyes, and he rubbed at them in hopes of getting the soap out. He cringed at the thought of dirty, hairy dog wash water getting up his nose – which indeed it did.

A melodic laugh reached his water-logged ears, and Fuery tried to squint at Hawkeye.

"Looks like someone bit off more than he could chew."

Fuery sighed.

"Can you hand me a towel?"

Said, done, and she even dried his face off for him. Fuery smiled as Hawkeye pecked his lips.

"We should round those soldiers up then," she said. "Train them to listen to their commanding officer."

Fuery lifted an index finger into the hair, smiling.

"But don't be too rough with them. They're younger than Black Hayate was back then."

Hawkeye nodded and helped Fuery stand up. Fuery stepped one foot out of the tub, and promptly slipped, grabbing her arm to support himself and pulling her with him. They yelped and –

Splash!

They laughed and started splashing each other instead. The puppies watched from the doorway, tails wagging like crazy.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Brosh sighed as he watched Maria Ross and Falman walk off for yet another date. He wondered why they didn't just get married all ready. They had been dating for nine, ten years now!

And he was still miserably alone.

Maria was with Falman, Hawkeye with Fuery, Rebecca had turned him down, Gracia hadn't worked out, Sheska was with Havoc, the Fuhrer was _right out_ and –

And he didn't want to admit to himself that he really wasn't attracted to women like he used to be.

"Something the matter?" asked the booming voice of the now Colonel Armstrong.

Brosh jumped and saluted him.

"No sir! Everything's fine, sir!"

Colonel Armstrong chuckled.

"Jumpy as ever, I see, Major Brosh. Try to relax a little."

"Yes sir!"

Colonel Armstrong walked off, and Brosh tried to tell himself that he didn't find that tush nice or those muscles sexy.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Fuhrer Armstrong pulled away from General Miles and smirked at him. General Miles pushed his sunglasses farther up his nose, glad his dark skin hid the majority of his blush.

"You may go, Miles," Fuhrer Armstrong said, her voice much softer than usual.

General Miles nodded and he marched out, thanking Ishbala for letting her fill the void that his wife's death had made in his heart.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Laughter floated through the air as David Heinrich and Ming Elric chased each other around the table. David's blond bangs flopped over his eyes, and Ming's dark braids flapped in the breeze.

"I'm gonna get you!" Ming giggled.

"No way!" David retorted.

David ran through the back door, into the Yao-Elric house, and promptly smacked into Fu.

Fu chuckled and ruffled the nine-year-old's hair. David, distracted, snapped at the elderly man (something about him being too old for that), and Ming, like a tiger, leaped and tackled him to the ground. David shrieked, and Ming tickled him, both laughing uproariously.

Mei, Wendy, Ran Fan, Ling, and Edward laughed at the two's antics.

"So, how's the birthday girl doing so far?" Wendy asked, bending down to their eye level.

Ming and David stood back up, Ming flashing an Ed-esque grin.

"Great! But I wish Dad, Uncle Ed, Grandpa, and the Sins would hurry up. I want to eat the cake!" Ming replied. David nodded rapidly.

Mei smiled almost-guiltily at her.

"They'll be here soon, dear."

Edward Heinrich frowned. Though she and Al had separated amicably, it was obvious she still hurt over it.

Ming felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and screamed with glee.

"Brother Greed!"

Little Greed held out his arms, and Ming launched herself into them. His appearance didn't change – it never did with her.

Little Greed hadn't grown an inch. He still looked like an eight-year-old boy. The only difference between now and then was his clothes.

Edward narrowed his eyes in annoyance. He would never understand why Ed let his "children" run around either a) without shirts (Wrath), b) in skin-tight leather (Pride), c) with creepy gothic accessories (Envy), or d) in what was practically a stripper outfit.

"We can see your stomach and abs. . . ." Wendy stated, smiling uncomfortably.

Ling's jaw dropped. "Is that a dog collar?"

Mei scratched her cheek. "Are we . . . _supposed_ to see the elastic to your underwear?"

Little Greed grinned smugly at them and nodded resolutely. Fu sighed heavily.

Knock, knock, knock! Ran Fan opened the front door. Ed grinned at her and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Sorry we're late," Ed muttered, Envy pushing past him and giving Little Greed a dirty look. Little Greed's grin widened. Envy's frown deepened, and he crossed his arms over his black T-shirt, the small metal skull dangling on his chain necklace clacking against his silver bracelets.

Pride followed her little brother, her high-heeled boots clacking on the hardwood and her hair – for once – braided like her mother's. As predicted, her clothes were skin tight and leather, though she had the forethought to wear a color other than black (purple to be precise). Ed and Wrath helped Hoenheim to a chair.

If anyone thought Hoenheim looked horrible when he first gave up his immortality, they didn't have a very good imagination. He looked like he had no internal organs. His skin sunk in at every opportunity. One could see the almost non-existent cartilage between his joints through his papery thin skin. Hell, one could see exactly what his bones were shaped like through his skin. His lower jaw was weak, so his mouth being "closed" was when it was just hanging open slightly. Remarkably, he still had his teeth, but they had to have shrunk in size. They looked like they could have fit in Little Greed's mouth and no one would be able to tell the difference if they were color-blind. The enamel had long yellowed, and no amount of brushing could fix it, and Hoenheim just didn't have the energy to leave the house for something as inconsequential as a whitening. His hair no longer sported its dark blond color, but shined with a blinding white.

Hoenheim's dwindling hearing had eventually silenced Wrath's own complaints about his one deaf ear over the years.

Wrath, himself, looked the same as he ever did. But his anger always seemed to be quiet and directed at himself.

Al closed the front door behind him, smiling nervously at Ran Fan's attempt at being tolerant of him. Which was her ignoring him completely.

"Daddy!" Ming squealed. She ran up and jumped into his arms. Al caught her expertly, his smile becoming much less forced.

"Happy birthday, sweetie," Al said, almost whispered. Ming grinned at him.

"Did you bring a present?"

Al nodded. "Of course. She's outside."

Ming blinked up at him for a few moments, then her grin – miraculously – widened. Ming enthusiastically wrenched the door open and jumped back outside, only to release the loudest and happiest shriek any of them had ever heard.

"A KITTY!"

Al gave a small smile as his daughter rushed back in with a black and white kitten in her arms.

Ed rolled his eyes, abruptly furrowed his eyebrows and sent a glare in Envy and Little Greed's direction.

"_Don't you two dare start fighting or so help me I'll - !_"

Envy and Little Greed stared at him, amazed.

"How does he _do_ that?" Envy marveled, lowering his fist.

Pride chuckled. "Mother's instinct." Pride then turned back to David and talked to him about an assortment of things.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Ming squealed and hugged her new alchemy book to her chest.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Uncle Ed!"

Ed smiled gently at her.

"Thought you'd like it," he replied softly.

Ming set the book next to the new kitten (who she immediately christened Nina – Ming didn't notice the hitch in Ed's and Al's breathing when she did this), and viciously attacked her next present. Half-way through the unwrapping, she halted.

"I just remembered!" She ran to the closet, wrenched it open, and sifted through the coats and clothes until she found what she was looking for. Ran Fan scowled and Mei winced.

"Ming, I don't think that's a good - ," Mei started, but she faltered once she revealed an outfit that looked suspiciously like the maid outfit under Ed's bed – just shrunk to eight-year-old-size.

"You said you'd wear it if I could find it," Ming said, looking straight at Little Greed. Little Greed smirked.

"I did say that."

"I got one for Envy, too!"

"_Hell_ no."

Ming stuck her tongue out at him. Ling smacked his forehead. Fu pinched the bridge of his nose. Edward and Wendy sighed heavily. David groaned. Al furrowed his eyebrows. Pride snorted. Wrath glared, but in a bored way instead of actively angry. Hoenheim – bless his heart – had fallen asleep from all the energy it took to pay so much attention. Ed watched Ming and Greed interact almost indifferently.

"Ming, Greed's not a toy - ," Al started, but Ed waved his hand, wordlessly cutting him off.

"He said he'd do it, so he's going to do it." Ed said, gluing the rim of his glass to his lips. Al gave his brother a look, but Ed ignored it. "Just change in the bathroom, okay, Greed?"

Little Greed nodded, took the dress into his arms, and let Ming shove him up the stairs, a smile that Ed and Al knew a little too well dancing on his face.

Little Greed loved her, pure and simple. Okay, maybe not simple. But that was okay . . . as long as no one thought about it too hard.

~!#$%^&*()_+

The original Greed gulped down the booze as he plopped himself onto the soft ground. The wind blew gently, rippling his hair and clothes. The gravestone in front of him read: Pinako Rockbell.

"So, old lady, I'm back again." He rested his elbows on his knees, grinning lazily at the grave marker. "I know you said you never wanted to see my mug ever again, but . . . I had to drop by again."

He chuckled throatily and chugged down more alcohol.

"I know you said I should try harder for Ed. And I have been. Or I used to. I really don't know anymore."

The wind picked up and thunder rumbled in the distance.

"But I give up. I'll never be what he wants. I can't be Mr. Plain-and-Boring. I can't be his precious little brother. I can't even be the sin that he adores. And the lives in my Philsopher's Stone are dwindling. . . ."

Greed rested his chin in the palm of his hand.

"I'll be joining you in the ground soon enough, you old hag. And I just wanted you to know that you've been a good friend to me. Thanks for that."

Greed poured some of the booze onto her grave, then downed the rest of him for himself. He then lay on his back and stared up at the darkening sky, with its threat of rain. He grinned, but he wasn't sure why.

All he could see was the golden hair and eyes and that scar-ridden yet perfect skin that would never be his, no matter how hard he tried.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Al swore that Hoenheim was going to die in his sleep one of these days. He closed Hoenheim's bedroom door and sighed heavily. He walked to his and Ed's room, quietly closed the door, shrugged his shirt off, and plopped onto the bed next to Ed. Ed sat up in bed, the lamp on and a book in his hands. Al gave Ed an annoyed look, and Ed ignored it. As always.

"Ed?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you let them do whatever they want?"

Ed shook his head, not taking his eyes off of his book.

"I don't let them kill each other. Or themselves."

Al sighed again.

"I still say he doesn't need therapy."

"They all do. Except Greed."

Al glared at him.

"He needs it the _most_."

"He'll be fine."

Al pushed himself up until he was at eye-level with Ed. He opened his mouth to say something –

_Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmm!_

A ghost of a smile fluttered over Ed's lips.

"Airplane."

Al scowled.

"I know."

Ed finally looked away from his book, looked at Al with eyes devoid of emotion and yet not empty. Indifference. Why was it either pain, memories, or indifference that Al ever saw from him anymore? He didn't leave Mei for this.

"Why do you let Ming treat Greed like that?"

Ed looked back at his book and shrugged.

"He likes making her happy. If dressing him up like a doll makes her happy, then he'll do it. Especially if it's a direct request."

"And how come Wrath doesn't get angry at Greed or Ming when that happens?"

"He's tired of being angry all the time. You know that. . . ."

Dull pain flashed in Ed's eyes. Al mentally cursed himself for bringing that up again. The younger touched the elder's hand. Ed looked at Al again. Al swallowed the urge to say _Look at me and SEE me, damn it_.

"It wasn't your fault he's tried to kill himself."

"Not tried. Did. He has 95 lives left, remember?"

Al bit back a frustrated sigh.

"Pride's not happy, either," Ed continued. "Hasn't been since Alfons died. Envy gets frustrated and takes it out on Greed."

Al's grip on Ed's hand tightened.

"They _can't_ be happy, Brother. They're not _human_."

Ed shook his head.

"Yes they can. It's just harder for them." Ed's eyes hardened, and he gave Al the closest thing to a glare he'd been able to muster as of late. "Why are you so quick to write them off?"

"Why do you _love_ them so much?"

"That's like asking why you love Ming."

"That's _different_!"

Ed jerked his hand out of Al's grip and pushed him off the bed. Al twisted himself so he landed on his feet. His shoulders slumped as he stood back up. Ed went back to his book, the message perfectly clear.

_Get out_.

Al turned to the door, and as he opened it, he wished he didn't hear the whispered words that he knew weren't meant for him to hear.

"Alfons loved them."

_Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmm!_

That ghost of a smile returned to Ed's lips, and he could almost feel Alfons's kiss.

**The End**

Red Roses2: It's possible that I might write Alternate Events and Before Chapter 1 stuff.


	43. Before Chapter 1

Red Roses2: I had kind of been wanting to write a smut scene between Ed and Al for this story for a while now, but I couldn't find a place to put it. Now I have. This takes place before Chapter 1, obviously. For the most part, it has Al's point of view, but the end is Ed's. Hoenheim is noticeably absent.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

!#$%^&*()_+~

Al knew having a fully developed grown body would feel awkward for a while after not having a body at all for so long. But he had no idea – he couldn't have imagined – that being aroused would feel like _this_.

It started that morning.

The morning went like the other mornings they've had with Al with his body, Hoenheim living with them, and Ed transitioning from loving brother, angry son, and stressed-out employee at alarming speeds. Ed always woke first, and the clangs of pots and pans always woke Al up. Hoenheim always rose later than them, sometimes thirty minutes later or two hours later. That often threw a wrench in Ed's plans, what with rushing to get everything together so he could relax somewhat at work. Ed, after all, was the only one who could cook something that wouldn't kill them, and despite Hoenheim being immortal, it just wasn't a good idea to let Hoenheim fend for himself, food-wise. So Ed was constantly running around every morning, rushing to get everything together so he could relax somewhat at work. Ed and Hoenheim barely communicated at all in the morning, and while Al thought that caused most of the routine incongruities, maybe perhaps that was best.

However, Al couldn't bring himself to say anything that morning, either.

Ed's hair was still damp from his usual morning shower. He was missing his shirt, the water from his hair dribbling down his well-toned upper back to his scar-ridden lower back, and his pants rode low on his hips. As Ed clanged and banged the pans around for a decent breakfast, he ate a banana to sedate his hunger temporarily. Ed turned his head toward Al, his lips curled around the fruit. Al suddenly understood all of Havoc's sex jokes.

"Hey, Al," Ed said, chewing the bite of banana. He put his mouth over it for another bite, and Al had the sudden urge to have Ed feast on something completely different.

And that's when _it_ twitched.

His surprise – or was it panic? – must've showed on his face, because Ed came over to him, a concerned expression crawling over the innocent, fantasy-inducing one.

"Are you okay?" Ed asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Ed had developed a habit of touching Al in appropriate ways as often as he could. No one really blamed him, but right then, Al had to swallow the urge to ask him to touch him _in_appropriately.

Al had no idea where these thoughts were coming from, but he could only assume they were the same thoughts that Ed had when _Al_ had propositioned him all those years ago. It really had been only three years since then, hadn't it? It felt like such a long time ago.

_It_ twitched again as Al remembered how Ed would pine for those leather fingers to penetrate deep into him.

"Al?" Ed's voice trembled with panic, and Al realized he hadn't answered.

"Sorry," Al said, still distracted. "I'm fine, Brother." Why didn't saying Ed's family title make him feel dirty? If anything, it increased his arousal.

Ed furrowed his eyebrows, completely unaware of Al's current thoughts.

"If you say so. Hey, what do you want for breakfast?"

_You would be very tasty indeed_, but Al couldn't say that. Ed would get flustered, get distracted, then would freak out about being late for work once he snapped out of it. Though Ed always looked incredibly cute when he was flustered. . . .

"Whatever you make is fine, Brother."

"You sure?" Ed's new catch phrase.

"Yes," He was more sure about making Ed's body buckle in pleasure. . . .

How was he supposed to do that in this body?

Al set the table, and Ed continued to cook. Al stole glances at his brother, especially when Ed dropped something and bent to pick it up. The pants pulled farther down Ed's hips, almost showing off his butt crack, and the leather fabric tightened around his firm ass. Al froze and stared for a while, only somewhat paying attention to the tightening of his own pants.

Ed stood up and went about his oblivious work. Al sat down before he did something stupid, like fall over.

A sudden thought occurred to him: without sex, how would the thing in his pants go away?

He frowned as he realized he really would have to ask Ed that question.

"Brother?"

"Yeah?"

"How do erections go away?"

Ed dropped the spatula in his hand, then scrambled to catch it, all the while uhing and ahing. Once he captured the spatula, he blushed a deep red and looked at Al as though he had sentenced him to fight the Homunculi single-handedly. He looked absolutely adorable.

"W-why do you ask?"

"It's something I need to know, isn't it?" Al retorted. Ed flinched.

"W-Well . . . y-you either touch it or – " Ed's face turned a dark crimson. He whispered the last part so quietly, Al almost didn't catch it. "or you shove it up my -"

Al felt all his blood flow south, and Hoenheim just had to come in at that point.

"What's for breakfast?" Hoenheim asked, completely unaware of what was happening.

Ed ignored him completely and concentrated on cooking. Al took a moment to realize Ed just answered two of his questions at once.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Al couldn't have been happier to see Ed come home. He had been torturing himself with ideas on how the inside of Ed would feel, how Ed's sweat would taste, and what Ed's hair would smell like. He had no idea so many possibilities existed – not that imagination could substitute reality, but he had never entertained any of these fantasies in his armored body.

Ed tossed his red coat over his chair at the table and immediately started cooking. His stomach growled, and the vein in his forehead throbbed, and Al really did wish he could cook _something_ decent, just so Ed wouldn't be so hard-pressed to do _everything_. Al felt a stab of guilt in his heart as he reminded himself he hadn't gotten a job yet, though Ed kept saying that he didn't have to rush it, that he should get used to his human body first. That didn't make Al feel any better about Ed having to shoulder everything.

"Can I help with anything, Brother?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, set the table, please, Al?"

Al smiled.

"Sure."

A few moments later, and Al was without a job again. He sighed.

"Need anything else, Ed?"

Al watched as a scowl twisted Ed's features.

"Someone to punch Mustang in the face."

Al smiled, trying to force down a chuckle.

"What did he do this time?"

Ed whirled around, hand on his hips, and wielding a ladle in his automail hand.

"That bastard's _still_ complaining about not getting that damn promotion! He's not the only one who participated in overthrowing King Bradley and the homunculi who didn't get one! Why can't he just stop _moaning_ already?" Ed continued on, describing vividly exaggerations (or so Al thought) of Colonel Mustang's displeasure with Fuhrer Olivia Armstrong. Al found his attention wandering from Ed's mouth to his hands, to his tight-leather-clad crotch. Ed didn't _seem_ to notice at first, but then he trailed off on his rant, knitting his eyebrows together.

"Al? Is something wrong?"

Al snapped out of it and smiled, a blush engulfing his face. Focusing on Ed's eyes instead, he responded.

"I'm sorry, Brother. I've been having trouble concentrating today."

Worry invaded Ed's eyes, and the elder pressed his flesh hand against Al's forehead. Al giggled.

"I'm not ill, Brother." Al grabbed the front of Ed's shirt and pulled him closer, their noses brushing. "You're beautiful, is all."

Al felt Ed's gasp against his lips and couldn't help the smug smirk.

The one thing that didn't change when Al gained his body was how much he loved brining out his brother's more vulnerable side. He prided himself in being the only one who knew how susceptible Ed was to praise like that. Or course, Al was also the only one who knew what Ed really thought of himself, and why flattering his physical being meant so damn much, and that wasn't nearly as comforting.

_I don't understand, Al. What do you mean, Brother? How can you think this mess of scars and – and __**hideousness**__ is attractive? I mean, sometimes it's like the only attractive thing about me is my automail, and that's only because Winry makes it so well. . . . How can you say that? Ed, you're beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous. All Ed did was shake his head. _

Al hated it when Ed talked like that – when Ed thought like that. So he took every opportunity to disprove it.

Al pressed his lips against Ed's. They both gasped and pulled away, surprised. Al felt Ed tense up.

"Ed?" He still was in love with Al, right? Being in his body didn't change that, right?

"You sure, Al?" Was that fear? "I – I've never – and I want yours to be - !" Oh. Al felt like hitting himself.

Ed may have given Al his virginity three years ago, but it's not possible to kiss when you're a suit of armor. And Ed was a perfectionist, who wanted everything to be right, especially for his little brother.

"I'm sure, Ed."

Al locked his lips with his, entwining his fingers into Ed's hair. Ed's lips moved against his, then froze, reflecting Ed's thoughts. Before Al could do much else to encourage him and banish all thought from the elder's brain, the timer buzzed, alerting them t hat if Ed didn't do anything soon, dinner would burn.

Al let Ed go, and _it_ twitched as he gazed into Ed's dazed eyes and listened to his faint pants.

He _had_ to know what it would feel like to fuck Ed, to insert his cock deep in him like he had with the armor's leather glove. Why would he find out _now_?

"Is dinner ready?" Hoenheim asked.

Oh. That was why.

Ed glared at Hoenheim and growled out something, but Al didn't pay any attention to the words. He found his gaze landing on Ed's ass again, and imagined what it would be like to move in it.

Dinner, naturally, was a torturous affair for Al that evening.

Ed probably wasn't eating any differently than normal, but every time Ed took a mouthful of _something_, Al's overactive imagination turned it into something perverse. It didn't help that Ed kept sending Al wistful and wondering glances, proving that the only reason they weren't fucking right then was Hoenheim. Hoenheim, of course, was oblivious as to the sexual tension. It may have been Al's imagination, but Hoenheim seemed to be taking twice as long to eat and leave for his evening walk. Al leered as he realized he and Ed would have plenty of time to screw each other _thrice_ before Hoenheim came back.

The father would have to leave first, though.

_Finally_, Hoenheim stood up, carried his dishes over to the sink, wandered to the coat rack, and slipped his coat on.

"Is there anything we need from the store or anything?" Hoenheim asked.

Al opened his mouth to say no, just get out already, but thankfully Ed spoke first.

"A truck load of Advil so I can get rid of this fucking headache," Ed sneered, glaring at his father.

Hoenheim ignored the blatant disrespect, muttered a goodbye, and left.

Al pounced.

Ed stumbled for a moment, was whirled around, and moaned into Al's kiss. Al slipped his tongue into Ed's mouth, and adored the noise Ed made in response. Ed circled his arms around Al's neck, pulling Al closer. Al trailed his hands down to Ed's belt and started to unbuckle it.

"A-Al," moaned around the younger's tongue. "Ah – are you sha – sure?" A long, drawn-out whine as Al snuck his head into Ed's pants. Al gasped as he touched his brother's heat, marveling at the sensation he had provoked in Ed for all these years and couldn't feel until now.

"_Positive_." Why would he turn away something like this? Al nipped at Ed's mandible and tugged at Ed's pants, wanting them _off_.

He almost didn't hear what Ed breathed in his ear.

"M-my room – please – I – I want to give I - " the 'i' turned into a whine as Al ran his tongue up Ed's throat. "it t-to you in my _room_." Ed tilted his head to the side, giving Al complete access to his neck.

"What's wrong with right here?" Al whispered, his voice coming out heavy with lust. He felt Ed shudder against him.

"N-nothing, but I – I want your first to be comfortable and – _ah_ – y-you always say you l-like my bed b-better."

"Whatever you want, Brother." Before devouring Ed's mouth.

Al wasn't entirely sure who was leading who, but neither paid much attention, and it was a miracle they got up the stairs without hurting themselves, let alone actually getting into Ed's room.

They tripped over each other before reaching the bed, and Al really didn't care. Ed didn't protest when Al clumsily pulled his leather pants off.

"_Ha_! AL!"

Oh, God, it felt _good_ – there wasn't any other description for it, but "good" was an inadequate word. Ed wrapped his legs around Al's waist, the cool automail contrasting with the heat exchanging between them. The cool of metal against skin was both refreshing and jolting, but Al couldn't bring himself to care either way as Ed clung to him, panting in his ear, moaning his name in a mantra.

"Al, Al, oh! _Al_! Al, Aaaal. Al."

He ran his tongue along Ed's toned muscle, tracing any scars he came across. Ed shuddered at the contact with Al's breath, and he thrashed whenever Al touched a scar, still sensitive after all this time.

"_Brother_ – you – feel – so " Wonderful, amazing, _perfect_, "_tight_!"

Ed whimpered and Al gasped, the younger discovering he could go deeper.

"Oh! _Ed_!"

Al screwed his eyes shut, the feeling overwhelming.

"Al, look at me," Ed begged, his voice strained. "Look at me, please."

Al forced his eyes open, and dearly wanting to thrust again, see how much deeper he could go.

"Al, it hur - " Ed stopped, taking a better look at Al's expression.

The younger attempted to clear his head a little.

"Yes, Brother?"

Ed hesitated, then said, "You like it?"

Al nodded, prepping for another thrust.

"It's perfect. _You're_ perfect, Brother."

Ed swallowed and pressed a kiss on Al's collarbone.

"I-In that case . . . harder."

It took Al a moment to figure out what that meant. Odd, Ed never asked for that before. . . .

"Hit it harder, Al. I – I want to be good enough for you."

Al wasn't sure what that meant, but if Ed wanted it, he'd make sure he got it.

So he pounded into Ed, harder and harder until he couldn't think at all, until Ed was screaming, until he came inside him.

Ed sucked in air, and Al felt Ed orgasm against his chest. They panted together, and their hearts beat as one.

Al kissed Ed's cheek and nuzzled his neck. Silence hovered over them for a while, and then . . . .

"How was I?" Ed asked, his voice faint and a little hoarse.

Al smiled at Ed and pushed Ed's bangs out of his face.

"You were wonderful, Brother. Wonderful, beautiful, hot, and oh so _good_."

Ed smiled, though something about it was off.

"What about me? How was I, Ed?"

Ed chuckled a little.

"Great, Al. As always."

With great effort, Al pulled out and helped pull Ed to his feet. Al noticed the wince.

"Ed?"

The elder shook his head.

"I'm fine. Ah, I'm going to get ready for bed, okay? Big day at work tomorrow."

Al smiled again.

"Okay, Brother. Sleep well."

Zipping his pants back up, Al left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Ed covered his mouth as he let loose the pained scream. His ass felt like flames were eating his ass up from the inside out. He managed to shuffle to the bed, but each step sent a flare of pain up into his gut. He eased himself onto the bed, wincing. Tears pricked in his eyes, and he tried to control his breathing.

Al liked it, and that's what mattered. Al _deserved_ to have him however he wanted him. If that meant sucking up about a little pain, then so be it.

That morning, it didn't feel any better. It felt like Mustang had used his ass for alchemy practice. A week later, it just felt like Havoc had stuck a lit cigarette up it.

Then Al wanted to do it again.

And Ed couldn't say no. Not to that face. Not to his little brother.

Not to the only person who could ever love a fuck-up like him.


End file.
